Du Domia by Eragon S Bromsson
by Narutohinataftw10
Summary: Peace has reigned for nearly 100 years when an old enemy comes to threaten Alagaësia once again, it'll be up to each race to help stand against this enemy. Sequel to Eldunarya. WRITTEN BY ERAGON S BROMSSON
1. Prologue

**Prologue: The Depressions of a Droplet**

 _What have I to say?_

Lightning lashed among the clouds of darkness, and thunder clapped. The clouds clashed, and merged, only to separate with a new burst from wind.

 _Is this what I lived to bear? Must I live to bear all this?_

It was a battle of the heavens. Rain poured from its parents, leaving without regret for they were going to be rid of the skirmish and be at rest until they rejoined the clouds once more.

 _But to these droplets there is more meaning than it appears_. Someone thought, looking up at them with his tear streaked face.

 _A simple droplet in a cloud is a very interesting thing. In the beginning, the droplet comes to the cloud from the lands, seas, rivers below, just like all others. It joins the thousand others in the air; that is its life. When everything is peaceful, the droplet merely hovers among its fellows in the ether, unwilling to leave, it leads a normal life. But then, comes time of grief, when many droplets fall back to the earth; it is small downpour. Many of the fellows of the droplet are taken away. Then comes the time of storm; that is the time of war, when two clouds converge, chilled winds blow and lightning signifies the outcome. Times of war become times of death, and even the best are hard pressed to survive. This is where the droplet loses nearly all it has, but remains one of the few who still form the cloud, who survive the battle of the heavens. Then, the cold in the higher alcoconutudes; that is its death, finally claims life and the droplet liquidizes and journeys back to where it came from. Then, once again, another droplet is formed, and it takes the place of its predecessor. The cycle continues…_

 _Life is similar._

 _We come to this land, amidst innumerable others. We live peaceful, happy lives. Then comes the time of grief, when our loved ones are taken from us, and we must make our own way ahead to survive if we can. But someday, comes time of catastrophe, which also we must survive. Few do, and those who do are stronger and wiser than most. But in the end, the forces of nature are too strong for us to defeat, we do succumb to death. It is our destiny, we will die some day. But just as we die, someone does come to take our place.  
The cycle continues . . ._

 _Such is my case._

 _But unlike the drops of water which bring us rain, some beloved people in our life cannot be replaced. Droplets do not make much of a difference, but loved ones do._

 _This I have experienced. This I know . . ._

But, in truth, a cry was heard below the battling clouds, and it was followed by a roar that shook the earth.

 _Who was the crier? Where had it come from?_

 _Those were the questions many people might have asked, but in their hearts they feared to know who the crier was._

 _It was the one who had caused all this . . ._

* * *

A dragon roared in misery, and flames burst from its maw, evaporating several droplets of water. Few heard it, and those who did either had hope quenched in their hearts, or mirth bubbled in their throats.

The crier was its Rider, and he was crying for his beloved. He had lost her, and now he regretted his choices in the recent past. He now regretted his act of mercy, his feelings of love and his decision of battle.

Had he not taken those, none of this would have happened. Had he been more cautious, and not so hasty, he would not have suffered so much. If only he would have listened to his mate . . . If only he would have listened.

The dragon keened in grief for its Rider, and suddenly growled as it spotted the person who had killed the dragon's and its Rider's mate.

The murderer merely sneered, just as thunder expressed its rage once more. Lightning illuminated his face, and it was evident that nothing like this person had ever been seen before in the likes of the world. All of his skin was bone white in color, his face and head did not have any hair, and he was very thin. Coupled with it, he had silver robes under a sickeningly white armor. In contrast with his skin, chest plate and clothes, he had a jet black sword on his right hip. He was just sneering at the elvish Rider, who was crying.

This was the place where a great battle had been held, and had resulted in a great defeat for the Rider and his army. But, his enemies had decided to let him succumb to his shame, and his anguish, so they had left him and all that had remained of his troops alive.

The villain yelled, "You are responsible for all of this, Lead Rider, and these are the consequences of you deeds . . . No one shall help you now, you are ALONE!"

The Rider looked up, and glared at the abomination, eyes of sorrow filled with tears, "I shall kill you for this! By life or death, I shall be the reason for your downfall! You-will-DIE!"

The abomination drew his sword in a flash and pointed it at the Rider, "I can kill you effortlessly now! It will be like snapping a dry twig with my boot . . . But I won't. I shall let you live, and I shall also let you suffer for your own mistakes. Let it be known, the Lead Rider was the cause of the death of his most loved person, and is now suffering because of it. This was no one else's fault but your own, and you shall repent it till your death."

The Rider glared at him with all his hate and his eyes were overflowing with tears now, because he knew that the words he had just heard were true.

"Let me live? You are the one who will regret this choice! I shall have my vengeance for this! I SHALL!"

The villain just laughed at his words, then walked away with two more men into the darkening mist, sheathing his shimmering sword.

"I swear on the heavens . . ." The Rider said, but only the dragon heard him.

Tear streaked, the Rider gently caressed the soft face of his love, looking at her slanted eyes, drinking in her beautiful elvish features. He remembered the warmth of her body, the softness of her skin, the smoothness of her raven hair and the touch of her lips on his own. He remembered the years they had spent together, and he was slowly submerged in his own grief.

"No one must feel the way I have . . . No one!" The Rider said to himself, picking up the body of his mate.

She had been a Rider as well, but she and her dragon had been slain in the battle that had taken place earlier that day. She had been stabbed from the back as she had tried to help her mate fend off those three men. Her dragon had been beheaded by the abomination, and his glittering, emerald green body was lying a mile way

"Not men, foul, twisted worms not worthy existence!" The Rider said to himself.

The Rider looked up from the face of his mate, tears glistening in his eyes, and gazed at the setting sun which cast a bloody light on the misty world, a world which was torn apart for him.

He turned to his dragon, and bowed his head in shame. The dragon looked at him with soft eyes, and tried to take away his sorrow, but the Rider's grief was too immense.

The Rider's face tightened painfully and he was unable to breathe as he remembered the last words said by his mate . . .

 _"I-I have always l-loved you . . . But n-now we must s-separate, we d-don't have a-a choice. . . . But, e-even in d-death, my love for y-you shall last . . . I-It is e-everlasting . . . M-My love f-for you, E-E-Eragon."_

Eragon was the name of the grieved Rider; he fell to his knees, and he gave a sorrowful, pained cry once again. He pressed his mate's face to his own and sobbed. The dragon slowly came closer, and placed a wing over the couple, just as Eragon yelled in agony.

"Why me?" He cried, echoing the words said by the mad king, Galbatorix.

But just as there was grief and turmoil in this land, there was happiness and peace in another. The two worlds were interrelated now, by several reasons and people

But now, there was going to come a time never foreseen, never foretold, when both these worlds would have to battle a common enemy for the survival of each other.

The clouds of evil remained, and the sun finally set, submerging the land in the endless depth of darkness.


	2. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1: Alagaesia . . . Anew_**

It had been nearly a hundred years since King Roran had ascended to the Throne, after the death of mad Galbatorix. A Hundred years of peace, of happiness, of unity and of regeneration.

Things had changed resplendently in the last century. The race of the dragons had returned from several clutches of Saphira and Thorn, and from another source . . .

Once Draumr, that was Nasuada's dragon, had grown up, Valinor and Draumr had been spending a lot of time together. They had both been lonely since they had no mate, and Saphira and Thorn had been the only dragons other than them then. And that had been the time when they had begun to fall in love. A few months into their relationship, and they had finally mated.

And so, both the couples together had revived the dragon race in Alagaesia.

The Riders had returned as well, from Saphira's and Draumr's eggs, and also from the eggs given by their offsprings. There were now a total of fifty Riders in Alagaesia. Half of these Riders were elves, and the rest were humans. The perfect distribution had been surprising to everyone, but it had been accepted that the Dragons wanted equality and justice as well.

The system of the Riders, in itself, was simple but very effective. Whenever a dragon hatched for a Rider, his or her training would be undertaken immediately. It would continue on for a couple of years, after which they would swear their loyalty and fealty to the Lead Rider in public view. During the time of their training, they would not be allowed to leave Doru Araeba. After their training was complete, however, they were given various ranks and positions.

At every city of the humans, elves and dwarves, a Dragon and Rider were posted, and they would report to their superiors periodically. The Urgals had refused such supervision, Nar Garzhvog had told Eragon that it would cause a lot of strife, and that the ways of Urgals were their own. They could not allow them to be leaked out. So Eragon would, now and then, ask some of the Riders to visit the Urgals, or he and Saphira would go themselves. Thus, the Riders were returning at a great pace. But, for the last year, the eggs had not hatched for anyone, so most of the mentors were free.

Out of the remaining Riders and dragons, thirteen were Elders. Out of those thirteen, Murtagh and Arya were the most important, both by wisdom, skill, and the fact that they were related to Eragon. All the human Riders were under Murtagh, while all the elven Riders were under Arya. Both Murtagh and Arya were under Eragon, who was the supreme authority. Nasuada was included in the elders as well, along with four more humans. The rest were all elves.

Eragon and Arya had visited Ellesmera, along with their son Deaother, several times. And on one occasion, they learned that Sloan was dead. The old man had died, but not in grief or regret. He had changed, and his eyesight had been revived by the elves. But, to everyone's surprise, he had decided to live in Ellesmera, and had asked the elves to be silent on issues related to him. But, he had succumbed to death almost three years after Galbatorix's fall.

The humans were prosperous, unlike in the reign of Galbatorix. They had changed a lot with the revival of the dragon race, and the number of magicians in their population had increased tremendously. But they now had a different King. After ruling for thirty five years, Roran had given up his throne and crown to his son, Louthen. Louthen had married Horst's daughter, Byriel, and Louthen's sister, had married King Orrin's son, Hourin. Twenty years after leaving the throne, Roran had left the world forever. He had been followed shortly by Katrina. It had the first occurrence of sadness after the war, and had been a terrible blow to Eragon. A couple of years after this, General Orrin had also died.

Eragon had recovered from his reverie of loss after a while, with Saphira's and Arya's help. After ruling for twenty five years more, Louthen had given up his throne to his only child and son, Orothrim. The next generation of humans had longer lives than the previous generations. They were stronger, taller and better, due to the regeneration of the dragon race. Louthen and his wife departed to the void about fifteen years after giving up the throne. Orothrim was still alive; he wasn't as healthy as he had been in his youth, but was judicious and modest. He had a son twenty year old son, named Angrenost.

The elves were generally the same in population as before, but they had become much fairer, graceful, merry and prosperous. The effect of the return of the dragon race had been more on them, since their bond with the dragons was much deeper than that of the humans. They were an elder race, the Fair Folk, and were the strongest, other than the dragons. They were still being led by King Dathedr, who had mated Lady Esimilia of Osilon, and they had a daughter named Vaelia, who was young by the standards of the elves.

The dwarves were also being led by Orik, who was silver bearded to his knees, had very long hair and was just like Hrothgar had been. He and Hvedra had three daughters, all of whom were married to the sons of the various important families within the Ingeitum. Orik was a happy dwarf.

The Urgals were all under different leaders, according to their clans. Nar Garzhvog's clan was led by his nephew's son, Yurgrovazh. He was a good leader as well, but had not mated anyone yet, and was young. Nar Garzhvog had left the mortal realm fifteen years ago.

Now, the Riders still had seventeen eggs left with themselves. They had not hatched for anyone yet.

Eragon was happy with his lot, but he still remembered the past, how much he had suffered, how much he had gained, how much he had lost.

Eragon snored heavily. Arya looked at him, amused, and was caressing his face in her arms. They had been together for almost a hundred and one years now, and their love for each other was immense. But still, they both surprised each other at times.

Arya kept on staring at the face of her mate, wondering what he was dreaming about. She almost decided to enter his mind and check, but Valinor contacted her instead.

It was nighttime, and the stars were twinkling pleasantly. They were in their simple bedroom, nothing much was there. One large, wooden bed which had a soft mattress. The bed was covered with nice blue-green bed sheet, and had several pillows. On either side of the bed were two side tables, to the right and left were windows, straight ahead was a huge balcony, and next to the left window was a dressing table and a chest of drawers. Next to the right window were two cupboards. All the furniture was made of rosewood.

 _Unable to sleep?_

Arya smiled to herself as Valinor landed outside her and Eragon's house. They had named it Ilian, which meant 'happiness' in the Ancient Language. The house was made of teak wood, reinforced with magic, and had been sung into its shape.

They were at Doru Araeba, the City of the Riders. But the city wasn't huge, unlike Carvahall, and it did not have different levels. Here all the houses were of the same, two storey level. They were beautifully crafted, were all made of wood, and were the home to the elder Riders. The city was small because there weren't too many inhabitants. There were several humans, elves, dwarves and Urgals in the city, who carried out some trade, or were in-charge of protecting the city, and the elders along with the Lead Rider, the students, and all their dragons lived here. But there were no ordinary citizens in the city. Most were magicians, and the remaining were wizards, witches or sorcerers. The entire city was enclosed within a huge, a dozen feet thick walls of pure white stone, and had four gates.

Eragon had decided that Doru Araeba be the place where most of the magicians among the humans, dwarves and Urgals to live. There were some elves here as well, to maintain the semblance of equality, but as almost every elf could use magic, Eragon had decided not to include the elves in the decision. The idea had been that there wouldn't be too many magicians among the normal people, and the magician would be situated only in places where the Riders were. Thus, there was an eye constantly on them. The plan had been proposed by Nasuada. The leader of the magician was Thengra, who was the daughter of the magician Carn and was a Rider. The organization of the magic users was named 'Varden'.

But now, Arya sat with Eragon's head on her lap, wondering about her son, Deaother.

 _Yes, I am a little worried about Deaother._

 _What's there to be worried about?_ Valinor asked her, amused.

Arya sighed, then let go of Eragon's face and stood up. She was in a trailing, lavender gown, and was wearing the emerald necklace.

 _He seemed very lonely when I last saw him. I wonder why he wanted to go to Ellesmera instead of staying here with us. Maybe he got bored of staying with his parents._ Arya thought. Deaother had left for Ellesmera earlier that week. She didn't know why, but she felt that Eragon had a hunch. He had laughed hard for over five minutes when Deaother had asked him and Arya whether he could leave.

 _You know that isn't true, Arya. He probably felt it better to live somewhere on his own. Coupled with the fact that he is a hundred years old, he deserves it._ Valinor said while folding his wings.

 _You are right, but he is so different than all the other elves, I am just worried whether he will get good friends and companions._

 _He will, and he is with Dathedr. He and Vaelia get along well . . . ever since they first met._ Valinor said, and Arya smiled at the recollection.

 _I remember. I began wondering then, what was going on between them. Deaother would stare at her for a while, then he would blush and turn away, just as Vaelia would begin to look at him._ Arya told him.

 _I think you know what Deaother's feelings are . . . Like father, like son. Both are going to fall for a Princess . . ._ Valinor said knowledgably.

 _Aye._

Arya smiled at Eragon, who snored again. This was the first time ever since they had been together that she had heard him snoring. She turned to sit down on a chair and read a book, but something suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"I thought you were caressing my face . . ." He muttered sleepily.

Arya couldn't help but let out a small laugh, and she saw Eragon smile at the sound. Even after a century, his love for her had remained the same, rather, had increased. He never did anything that would distress her, and when she questioned why, he just said that he had hurt enough in the past, there was no need for him to do so now.

"I was . . . And I will if you want me to." Arya told him, sitting down again.

"Please do, I feel great when you are just close to me . . ." Eragon said in a thick and drowsy voice, and Arya sat down. Eragon contentedly placed his head on her lap, and she began stroking his hair.

 _Looks like your romance doesn't have an end._ Valinor joked.

 _Neither does yours . . ._

 _Aye, and I don't want it to have one._

 _That's good.  
_  
Valinor growled as he was joined by Draumr. The purple dragon gracefully landed next to the green one, and nuzzled his snout lovingly. Valinor licked her forehead, and covered her with a wing.

 _It will go on and be remembered for centuries hence._ Valinor stated.

Arya lay down in Eragon's embrace after a while, feeling his warm skin on her own.

 _As will mine._

Draumr wrapped her tail around Valinor's, and Valinor pulled her into a tighter embrace. They both settled to the ground, happy to be together.

Eragon held her even more tightly, and Arya kissed him on his cheek just to assure him that she was there.

 _I hope so._ Arya thought to herself, then drifted off to her waking dreams, intermixed with Valinor's.


	3. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2: Another Dragon and Rider_**

"Very good, Elva." Nasuada said, a little amazed by her student's accomplishment. She had not expected her to pass with these astoundingly good results. They were Nasuada and Murtagh's home, in the balcony.

Elva smiled happily, her eyes caring blue. Behind her was a sky blue dragon, a male. The dragon had hatched for her a decade after Galbatorix's fall. The orbs that had covered her face were now gone and her face was now very fair, and very pretty. Her hair was black, straight and long. A diamond shaped silver patch glistened on her forehead. She was wearing pure white leggings and a nice, blue lamarae.

"Really, ebrithil, it was good?" Elva asked her master.

"Very good, you have convinced me, you and Eridor are worthy to get a higher rank." Nasuada told them with a smile.

Behind Nasuada was a Draumr, beaming at the blue dragon who was several years younger than her.

 _You younglings have done a good job . . . I never expected the two of you to progress through your training so fast back then, but now, this is unbelievable. Not only did you answer each and every question of Nasuada's, but Eridor out flew me in each and every turn. Simply astounding!_

Eridor grinned at her wolfishly. _Thank you, ebrithil. I had promised Elva that I would do my best for her, and I kept my word._

Nasuada patted Elva on the shoulder, and the beautiful woman stood straight, a hand on the pommel of her light blue sword, Nuanen. She had passed the test to reach the rank of Ranger, which was the second stage of the Riders. The first was Defender, which was just after the Rider had finished his or her training, and was like that of a secretary. A Rider could not apply for the next rank unless there was someone available, another student, to take up his or her position. Elva's position had been taken by a Rider named Defroan, who was an elf and Arya's apprentice.

"So ebrithil, if I am one of the Rangers now, then which area shall I go to?" Elva asked.

"Well, there is a group of magician rebels, who went against Thengra's instructions, and betrayed five others and killed them. The entire group, that consists of two dozen magicians, are somewhere in the Beor Mountains. I want you to go to Dras-leona first, and join Ephian and his dragon, Jiarha, and then both of you will continue on to Farthen Dur, and meet King Orik. With his leave, you must reach Galfni, the south-westernmost inhabited area. From there, you must begin your search together. Ephian will tell you the rest, I will contact him soon." Nasuada instructed.

Elva bowed reverently and said, "Thank you very much, ebrithil. We shall leave immediately."

She turned on the spot and jumped onto Eridor's back, who roared in farewell. His roar was answered to by five others, and he took off.

Nasuada watched them go from her, and Murtagh's home, smiling to herself.

 _There . . . another Dragon and Rider that have joined us._ Draumr said proudly.

Nasuada walked over to her dragon and sat down, leaning against her belly.

 _Aye. But I am astounded at the effect Eridor had on Elva. She was such an arrogant girl in her youth, and so different in looks, but now she is one of the prettiest women, and one of the most gifted Riders. Eragon was the happiest when she became the Rider._ Nasuada told her dragon.

 _I remember. It had been a few months after I laid my first clutch of eggs._ Draumr said happily.

Nasuada rubbed the hard scales on the dragon's neck, and Draumr twisted so that the scales which she herself couldn't itch would be scratched by Nasuada.

 _I must say, when you hatched for me, I thought I had won the world over. I had received the loveliest dragon, who will never abandon me, and I got Murtagh as well. Do you remember the day I married him? And Roran had joined our hands._

 _I do. I have never felt you being happier than that day._

 _It had been the happiest moment of my life._ Nasuada said. A wing draped over her, and pulled her closer.

 _So, now what?_ Draumr asked after a while.

 _I must contact Ephian and tell him to look after Elva. She is too spirited at times._

 _And Ephian is the exact opposite. He is so serious all the time, I have hardly seen him joke around when he was Murtagh's apprentice. His dragon, Jiarha, is as different as her name._

 _He is the son of Jormundur, who was my second in command when I led the Varden. He lost his father, mother and experienced a lot of bloodbath when he had been just fourteen years of age. He had even killed several men himself then . . . That is why he is so serious. But I know that when he is alone with Jiarha, he does enjoy himself a lot with her._ Nasuada said, beginning to stand up.

 _That is good._

 _Aye._

Nasuada walked up to the edge of the balcony, smiling at the south going blue dragon.

 _Draumr, where is it that the wild dragons are now?_ Nasuada asked suddenly.

For the best, Eragon had decided against interfering with the wild dragons, and letting them keep themselves to themselves. There were hundreds of them, but no one knew where they all were.

 _They inhabit many areas . . . The last I heard, they were in the Spine, everywhere except where the Urgals live. Also, they are by the mountains near Kuasta, somewhere in Beor Mountains and also at Du Fells Nángoröth._ Draumr answered, shfting her wings.

Nasuada nodded to her, then walked towards the mirror attached to her wardrobe, intending to contact Ephian.

 _So, silver-head, are you excited about this?_ Eridor asked as he flew away from Doru Araeba, heading towards the south-west.

 _A lot! This is our first, dangerous assignment as Dragon and rider, and we will be joining Ephian Jormundursson. He was one of the best students Murtagh and Thorn had._ Elva said enthusiastically.

 _Well, I am excited about meeting Jiarha as well. She hatched before me, but I am older than her anyway._ Eridor said, a little smug. He had been a Rapid dragon, along with two more. He was the only one of Saphira and Thorn's lineage to be a Rapid dragon, and the other two dragons had been of Valinor and Draumr's lineage.

 _She may be smaller than you in size, but she still has a lot of experience. She could probably tackle you to the ground._ Elva said.

 _Perhaps, but I wouldn't bet on it._

 _Fine, fine. I know you are scared._

Eridor growled at her.

 _Of course not, I am not scared of anything!_

 _Oh really?_

 _Aye, there is nothing in Alagaesia that can scare me._

 _I believe you are right._

 _Thank you, Elva, for your confidence in me._

Elva hugged her dragon, happier than she could recall ever being. She loved Eridor a lot, because he had rid of her of Eragon's curse completely, by dragon magic, when he had learnt that Elva was never happy because she did not have good company. After that, all the time he had spent with her had been really enjoying for her, even while training. She had become what she meant to be, a beautiful woman, very enthusiastic and spirited, with a good sense of humor, and also a caring Rider. The orbs that had earlier haunted her face were gone, along with the ludicrous violet eyes. They had been replaced by light blue ones, just like Eridor's scales.

 _No Eridor . . . Thank you._

 _Why?_

 _You saved me from myself, from my darkness and from my hate and anger. It is thanks to you that I am what I am now._ Elva said, gazing into the endless depths of the sea to the east, trying to forget the memories of her haunted past.

 _It was my duty, I am your dragon, and our souls are joined. I knew that in truth, you were a lovable, caring and kind person. All that had gone wrong was that it was veiled by the dark cloth of indifference and arrogance, pain even. I couldn't see you in distress . . . I had to help._

 _Eridor . . . I love you._

 _I love you too, always._

Elva hugged him even more tightly then, and the dragon hummed.

The pair flew on for the rest of the day, reached Narda by evening. They rested in the dragon hold that had been built there, in its castle, met up with Earion, who was the elvish Rider stationed there along with his silver dragon, Aeidail.

As she lay under Eridor's wing, Elva wondered what this Ephian was like. She wondered and wondered until she finally decided to scry him. She walked over to a mirror on the side of the dark room, which was huge and black in color, had three chandeliers on its ceilings, several brackets on its walls, and was rectangular in shape. Its south facing wall was open to the skies.

Standing in front of the mirror, she saw her own pretty reflection, and she shivered in the cold slightly. The wind was blowing inwards, and winter was nigh. She crossed her arms to warm herself, and muttered "Draumr Kopa." While picturing the only instance when she had seen him. It had been a year since that incident, and she had only seen the side of his face as he and his dragon had left for Dras-leona at Eragon's command.

The first thing that she saw in the mirror after she invoked the spell was the moon, and the stars. The constellations were different there than they were at Narda. Then she saw a jet black dragon, probably Jiarha. The rest of the room was white as she had not seen it before, but its design made Elva think that it was a dragon hold as well.

Finally, she saw a man standing at the edge of the room, looking at the moon. He was tall, taller than most humans, broad shouldered, deep chested and muscular. He had no sword. He was wearing a black tunic, and similar black leggings.

"So . . . You are my companion-to-be? You don't seem that much fun loving. But that will change soon, for it is me who is going to be with you." Elva whispered to herself, a little surprised at her own words.

Then she reached out, without comprehending what she was doing, and placed a soft finger on the cold, polished surface, tracing out the figure of the man.

"We will meet soon, Jormundursson." Elva whispered again, then blushed slowly for some reason that she couldn't understand.

The wind blew on, and it was soon to bring tidings that had never been heard. The flapping of wings grew in the distance, and the North heard a faint roar . . .


	4. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3: Deaother and Vaelia_**

"Here we are, Deaother, Ellesmera!" Everaun muttered to Deaother. They were atop a dragon, Phiole, who was brown in color. He was Everaun's dragon, a male, and Everaun was an elven Rider. Everaun had silver hair, deep eyes of gray color and was lean like any other elf.

Deaother was brown haired, brown eyed with slanted eyebrows. He was more muscular than any other elf, including Eragon, and was one of the tallest. He was equal in height with Eragon, and was taller than Arya. He had a bright sword on his hip, which had been a gift from Arya. She had forged it herself, with the brightsteel that she forged the Rider swords with.

They had journeyed from Doru Araeba to Ellesmera. Deaother had been to Ellesmera before, but always with his parents. Now, he was on his own, and was savoring the independence.

 _It is preferable to be alone sometimes, no matter how much your parents love you, and you them._ He thought to himself.

Everaun and Phiole were also the dragon and Rider stationed at Ellesmera. They had come to Doru Araeba at Arya's request, to pick Deaother.

Phiole gently landed in front of an ancient looking elf, who was wearing flowing robes of pure white and had a circlet of silver upon his brow. It was Gilderien the Wise, the guardian of Ellesmera.

 _We must take his permission to enter. He allows Eragon and the others who are with him to enter without meeting them because Eragon is the Lead rider. But we must speak with him directly now. I believe you are meeting him for the first time?_ Phiole asked in a deep voice, and Deaother nodded.

"Aye, this is the first time."

Everaun and Deaother began the traditional elven greeting, and Gilderien replied as he was supposed to. Then, Everaun said, "This is Deaother, Gilderien-elda. He is the son Eragon Kingslayer and Arya Shadeslayer. Can he come with me and Phiole?"

Gilderien looked at Deaother, who tried to look back, but couldn't under the piercing eyes. So he bowed his head finally and waited.

"You may proceed, and you are always welcome here, Eragonsson, as long as you uphold the peace." Gilderien sang, and moved aside.

They were standing in front of the gate to the Tialdari Hall. Everaun sang in the Ancient language, "Root of tree, fruit of vine, let me pass by this blood of mine."

The gate opened, and the three of them stepped in.

 _I think we better meet King Dathedr._ Phiole said, moving his tail carefully to avoid scraping and damaging the delicate flowers and plants in the gardens.

"Yes, let us go. He must be somewhere ahead, for he knows we are coming . . . Come on, my friend." Everaun said, tapping Deaother on the shoulder as he gazed at the gardens in wonder. He jumped out of his reverie and Everaun smiled.

They walked deeper into the hall, and Deaother spotted several elves here and there in the different rooms. He had never explored the place, and was looking forward to it.

"Deaother, I shall take you around the city after you are settled in, is that fine?" Everaun asked.

"Certainly, Everaun-vodhr." Deaother said, and tore his gaze away from the room that had a stream running through it.

They reached the grandest looking room in the entire hall, and there were two elves standing in front of the door to it. One of them had a slender, golden crown on his forehead, and the other had a similar silver circlet.

It was King Dathedr, and his daughter, Princess Vaelia. Deaother and his companions reached them, and soon had exchanged the traditional elven greetings.

Vaelia was a beautiful elf, even by their standards. She was quite tall, reaching up to Deaother's shoulder, slim, her hair were long and black, as were her eyes. She seemed what she truly was- a Princess of the elves.

"Welcome to Ellesmera, Deaother." Dathedr said, smiling. Vaelia was looking at him with curious eyes, though her face didn't betray it.

"Thank you, King Dathedr. It certainly is good to be here, again." Deaother replied with his face straight and a pleasant smile.

He and Dathedr spoke for a while more, after which Deaother took his leave. Dathedr asked Vaelia to escort Deaother to his room. Vaelia spared him a quick smile as Deaother untied his pack from Phiole's saddle, and he joined Vaelia, who had already begun to walk off.

"And Vaelia," Dathedr said as they began to walk away, "Please do introduce him to all your friends here. Let him also join in all your meetings and competitions."

Vaelia nodded, "Of course, father."

As they walked, Deaother kept a straight face, and tried to start a conversation, but before he could, Vaelia said, "Why are you here? I thought you liked it in Doru Araeba."

Deaother did his best not to blush, though his face did grow a little warm as he looked at her, "I do, but I felt that it was time I became a little more independent as I had never been so before."

"What is the need to? It does not make that much of a difference." Vaelia said as they walked past a room where an elf was conversing with a doe.

"It may not seem so to you, but the feeling of freedom you get is really different." Deaother told her. He felt nice to talk to her, he always did. Although, he had never felt like this when he had talked to other women, human or elven.

Vaelia didn't seem to feel the same for him, a fact that hurt him a bit, "I think you better rest for today though, you have had a long journey, you must be tired." She looked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Aye, I am tired . . . I'll take you advice." Deaother said, nodding.

They reached the room, and Vaelia said, "I shall see you tomorrow, a few hours past dawn. We have a sparring competition coming up later this week. You can participate if you wish." Vaelia said, a small smile on her face.

Deaother replied, "I'll join, though I will need to practice with someone."

"Do not worry, I shall find a sparring partner for you . . . I shall see you tomorrow, Deaother." Vaelia said, and turned away. She waved at him when she had gone a few paces away, and Deaother kept staring at her until she was lost from his view.

Deaother sighed then, and looked at the door, then entered it. The door did not have a key hole, or any such mechanism. It opened up as soon as he touched it.

 _It must be magic._ Deaother thought to himself.

He walked into the wide and long the hallway of the room, and saw that it had three more doors leading out of it. One led to a bathroom, probably, another led to a bedroom, and the last to a small kitchen. The hallway itself had a couch, a table and several chairs. There were windows to the right and to the left, and light streamed into the room from them. They had curtains of silk, lilac in color. Several cupboards lined the walls.

 _So, the beginning of a new life . . ._ Deaother thought to himself.

 _What an odd person!_ Vaelia thought to herself as she waked over to the sparring grounds.

She had been a bit unsettled by the reasons that Deaother had given her for coming to Ellesmera. Personally, she would never leave her own parents, but Deaother had done so without regret.

 _Doesn't he care what his parents feel like?_ Vaelia thought.

She entered the sparring ground, and saw only a couple of elves slashing at each other with a sword and a spear. They were her friends, Kielle and Worian. Worian was blond haired, of medium height and stature, with thin eyebrows and features as handsome as any other elf. Worian was the elf she liked a lot, maybe loved as well, because she always wanted to be with him, and she hoped he felt the same. Often times, he would help her even when she wouldn't ask for it, and always be polite and good to her. Kielle was silver haired, as tall as Vaelia, and had been her friend since childhood. She always supported her in everything and Vaelia did the same for her.

Worian was about to swing a sword at that point, but he stopped when he saw Vaelia. His distraction resulted in him getting a sharp rap on his shoulder with the spear.

"Concentrate, Worian!" Kielle said, then stopped and smiled as she spotted Vaelia walking up to them.

"Greetings, Vaelia. How are you today?" Worian said a little awkwardly.

Vaelia gave him a bright smile, "I am fine. How are the two of you?"

Kielle replied that she was fine as well, and Worian said he had never been better.

"We have a new elf here today, in Ellesmera. He arrived with Everaun and Phiole." Vaelia said after a while when the three of them settled down in the shadow of a tree. Worian sat between her and Kielle. His shoulder touched hers, but she didn't move to prevent the contact as she normally would. Worian was an exception.

"I see, he must be very important if the dragon and Rider escorted him here." Kielle said.

"That he is; he is the son of the Lead Rider." Vaelia said, and Worian jumped slightly.

"Deaother is here? That is good news; I have met him several times before. His father and mine are very good friends." Worian said. He was Vanir's son, who had mated an elf name Evariya a year or so after the war with Galbatorix.

"I asked him if he wanted to participate in our little sparring competition. He said he would be delighted. But he needs someone to spar with him . . . Would you spar with him, Worian?" Vaelia asked him.

Worian gave her an apologetic look, "I would, but Kielle here has challenged me that I can't beat her even once . . . I have failed once till now, and today was a draw. So, I will try again tomorrow, and we will see if I can win. Why don't you spar with him?"

Vaelia looked at him with raised eyebrows, "Me?"

"Yes, you, he is the son of the Lead Rider, and you are the Princess of elves. Both royalties." Kielle said, and grinned.

Vaelia stared at them for a while, but didn't reply. There was something about Deaother that gave her a feeling, something she couldn't express. Something she had never felt before.


	5. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4: An Odd Feeling_**

 _There it is, Dras-leona . . ._ Eridor said, and Elva looked up sleepily. It was nighttime, and they had reached Dras-leona after two days.

Elva stifled a yawn and stared at the city. Nothing much had changed in it since the war, except the fact that the cathedral was no more. The previous religion that had been practiced in the city had been abolished by the Riders, as had been the slave trade. Now, the city was a healthy place, and a great deal cleaner than before.

 _Don't roar, you will wake all the citizen's up._ Elva said as she read her dragon's intentions.

Eridor grunted disappointedly, but listened to what she was saying. They headed for the main castle, which had a dragon hold. Its Governor, Dolan Shipmoore, was a trade headed man but was also kind and wise.

As they flew over the houses, many people pointed and cheered at Eridor, who let out a bright burst of blue fire. The humans applauded.

 _I need to respond, you know._ Eridor explained.

Elva laughed at him.

They finally reached the castle, and Eridor gently landed in the dark hold. Elva got off him and looked around, unable to keep a smile from coming to her face. But she couldn't find anyone there. The room was long, as had to be expected, and was wide as well. There were a couple of mirrors on either walls, there were half a dozen chandeliers on the walls, and brackets for candles on the walls to the left, right and front. The room was colored black.

 _Where is Jiarha? And Ephian?_ Elva thought, looking around as her eyes began adjusting to the darkness.

Eridor crawled to the side and looked around with bright eyes. _They should be here, I don't think Jiarha can be accommodated elsewhere._ He stared around the room and sniffed here and there.

 _She is accommodated here, I can smell her scent._ Eridor continued.

 _Aye. Maybe they are flying around._ Elva thought to her dragon. She walked over to the open side of the hold, looking at the fantastic view of the city.

 _Things are so different now, aren't they?_ Eridor muttered, settling to the ground.

 _So different . . . I feel as if I am in a dream of sorts._

 _Oh come on, you know that this isn't a dream._ Eridor gave an amused growl.

 _I know it isn't, but even reality is just as astounding at times._ Elva said, and then looked around. She couldn't see any other dragon around, so she walked over to Eridor and settled on the grey floor next to him, leaning against his chest.

 _Tis' quite cold_. Eridor said, wrapping a wing around Elva's body, but leaving her head free. A tail coiled around her waist, and she stroked Eridor's forehead, which was next to her.

 _But now it is warm, since you are with me._ Elva said, much to Eridor's happiness.

The pair fell asleep soon after, each sinking into the depth of their own dreams, which were beautifully bonded as well.

 _Thud!_

Massive black wings beat against the wind, and they flew steadily closer to Dras-leona. Below them, the huge and black mass of Helgrind swept away.

Ephian stared at the city, the very city towards which his father had been traveling when he had been slain by the Black Hand. The very city which had been entrusted to him. But no more, he had got another duty. He had been promoted to Senior Ranger, that was a prestigious rank. The only positions above his were Mentors, Elders and the Lead Rider. His status was very respectable.

 _Don't be such an arrogant brute!_ Jiarha commented, a little edge to her voice.

 _I shouldn't be, I know. But there is nothing with being a little proud sometimes. I have done-_ Jiarha snarled at his words, and Ephian hastily corrected himself.

 _I mean, we have done something to be proud of._ Ephian said, and his dragon growled in approval.

We have, but that does not mean we should take too much pride in it. We should be modest enough to treat our juniors with respect as well.

Ephian scratched the black dragoness on her neck, smiling to himself. _That we should._

 _So, when we meet Elva and Eridor, I want you to talk to them properly. Not the way you talk to the other students._

 _They aren't-_

 _Promise me!_ Jiarha said with a threatening growl.

 _I-I will, I promise._ Ephian said.

 _You know what will happen in you don't keep your promise, don't you?_ Jiarha asked in a warning sort of tone, barring her fangs.

 _I do know. No need to get so serious!_ Ephian told her hurriedly.

They flew on for several more minutes, passing above the silent streets of the cities. They were empty now, except for a few men here and there, who gaped at the dragon.

 _Do you think they are already here?_ Ephian asked, looking at the dragon hold.

 _I do, and I think I told you thrice that it was time to leave, but you insisted on swimming more in the lake._ Jiarha said in an annoyed tone.

 _It is one of the only things I enjoy, and plus you were with me. It was great, and I loved it._ Ephian said, trying to excuse himself.

 _Don't try to butter me, Ephian, you know it won't work._ Jiarha said knowledgably. Ephian laughed.

 _Okay, I am sorry._ Ephian told her. Ever since she had hatched for him, Jiarha had changed Ephian's life completely. She knew each and every aspect of him; she never left him alone to his own thoughts, and didn't let him go more than some yards away from her. She was as protective of him as a mother is of a son; and she loved him just as much. Ephian loved her immensely, but he did get quite frustrated when she stopped him from doing risky or reckless things.

They landed inside the dragon hold stealthily, and Ephian got off, looking around. There, to the right, was a bright, blue dragon. He was huge, larger than Jiarha, and his scales were glinting magnificently in the moonlight.

 _That's Eridor?_ Ephian asked Jiarha, who had met the dragon once.

 _Aye._

And, on the floor next to him was his Rider. Most of her body was covered by a wing, but her face was visible; her black hair cushioning her head.

It was the fairest face Ephian had ever seen. Without even bothering to comprehend what he was thinking, he said to Jiarha, _She… She is beautiful . . ._

 _Who?_

 _Elva._

He walked forward, ignoring Jiarha's amused exclamation, and he kneeled next to Elva, gazing at her face tenderly.

 _Ephian, are you crazy?_ Jiarha asked as he just stared at Elva.

 _What?_

 _Let her sleep . . . No! Don't!_ Jiarha said hurriedly, but Ephian slowly began to reach out to touch her face with his fingers. As they were just half an inch away, Ephian jumped back to his sense.

 _Why did I do that?_ Ephian thought abruptly, and snatched his hand back immediately. He retreated from Elva hastily, moving closer to Jiarha.

 _Jiarha?_ Ephian asked again, turning to his dragon. It seemed to him that she had found this oddly amusing, and he didn't realize why.

 _I . . . don't know. But I can guess, and it seems you like her._ Jiarha said with a small grin.

Ephian looked at her, then returned his gaze to Elva.

 _She is beautiful. Even you can't deny that._ Ephian said, and goosebumps erupted on his back as Elva stirred, then turned her face to the side. The hair in the back of his neck stood on end, and he could not understand the reason. Elva sidled closer to Eridor's chest, who instinctively coiled his tail around her legs, and curled his neck around her body, obscuring her from Ephian's view.

 _What is happening to me? Jiarha?_ Ephian said.

Jiarha could be heard laughing, but very quietly. _You'll understand, now let her sleep._

Ephian nodded to himself, then reluctantly turned away from Elva and lay down next to Jiarha's side.

 _This I didn't expect in the least._ Ephian told her.

 _Nor did I._

And so, both the dragons and Riders fell asleep. But in the far distance, to the south, a menace came closer. As it was, darkness was gathering in the skies.


	6. Chapter 5

**_Chapter 5: The Lead Rider's Mission_**

 _Ouch!_

Eragon jumped as Saphira's tail hit his arm.

He was sitting on a wooden chair in his house at Doru Araeba, and before him was a table full of parchment. They had several drawings and diagrams. Eragon was trying to decipher what they meant. It was an hour past dawn.

 _What was that for?_ Eragon asked, annoyed.

Saphira blinked her blue eyes. _For ignoring me, you should have listened to what I just said._

 _What did you say?_ Eragon raised an eyebrow; he had not heard her say anything.

 _So, you were ignoring me to such an extent that I seemed to become mute._

 _No, I didn't mean it like that, my heart and soul. Just tell me what you said, again._ Eragon told her, putting his quill down.

 _I said you should take a break, spend some time with me as well._ Saphira told him. _The weather is pleasant, there is a light breeze and we are both fine and healthy as never before. Why can't we enjoy this?_

Eragon smiled at her. _I'd love to, my heart yearns for it, but you know what will happen if I stop my work. There is still a threat outside Alagaesia, and it is going to return. I must find Heslant before it does come. Otherwise, things will be very bad. I am just looking for his name in this list of inhabitants that Dregor found. Want to have a look?_

Saphira growled in a little disappointment, and saw Thorn, Valinor and Draumr flying around with their Riders, enjoying the day.

 _Look at them, Eragon, they are having so much fun. Why can't we-_

 _Saphira I just told you why, we must do this to ensure that they will be able to have fun again. If this is not done in good time, we will regret it._

 _Fine, enjoy your work then!_ Saphira growled indignantly, and made to take off towards Thorn and the others.

 _Saphira, wait!_ Eragon said, hurriedly getting off his chair and sprinting to the balcony where Saphira was.

She didn't reply to him for a while, until he grabbed her talon with his hand. She was almost as large as Glaedr had been, and her foreleg was longer than twice Eragon's height.

 _Saphira, you know this is for the best._

 _I don't think so; I was saying that you could use a break. Decades Eragon! You have been doing this for decades, and still you haven't found this crippled old man. I just thought, maybe you wanted to spend some time with me._ Saphira said, very angry for a reason which Eragon thought was very petty.

 _Okay . . . I agree, you were right. I should spend some time with you, everyday from now on. Is that better?_ Eragon asked her sweetly.

 _Much!_

 _You know, you haven't changed at all after these hundred years._ Eragon said, crouching and preparing to jump at her. It had, indeed, been a hundred years since she had hatched.

 _Nor have you!_ Saphira countered, making Eragon grin. He jumped onto the low wall, and pounced up, kicking the wall. Saphira grabbed him in her claws and tossed him up lightly, and he grabbed her neck spike and took his seat.

 _This is how we should be, as dragon and Rider._ Saphira told him.

Eragon smiled and agreed whole heartedly.

It was evening, and Eragon finally took his seat at the table again. Saphira curled up and eyed him with her lustrous eyes. Eragon picked up the letter that had been sent to him by the human Rider stationed at Kuasta. His name was Dregor, and he had a dawn red, male dragon named Hefron.

There had been many problems with assigning the cities to dragon Riders, as most humans wanted to go to humans cities. The elves were partial to be able to live in the elven territories, which was Du Weldenvarden alone, but they weren't as reluctant s the elves. Finally, the elves had got the idea, and now in many cities of the humans, several elves could be found, and similarly in many cities of the elves, humans could be seen, though, not in the capitals of either of the races. The human territory was what the Empire had been before, but it also included Surda. The Elven territory was Du Weldenvarden, and the dwarven territories were the Beor Mountains. Urgals lived in the Spine for the most part.

Eragon read through the letter quickly, until something of interest caught his eye.

 _Saphira, it says here that this secretive Arcaena order is still active. It has several people within it even now._ Eragon looked at Saphira, who was surprised.

 _But, Heslant belonged to that Order, no?_ Saphira said, and Eragon nodded, then hurriedly began to read further.

 _He has found a ruined house near the main quarters of that Order. He says it belonged to Heslant. And there is some sort of family tree inside . . ._ Eragon looked at Saphira, who seemed just as eager as him.

 _So, does it say who his ancestors or descendants are?_ Saphira asked.

 _That's the problem. The family tree is protected by magic, not harmful magic, but secretive spells. Dregor tried to command the wall to reveal its secrets, but a scrawl came on it that said that only the person having a blood relation with Heslant's family can read the family tree. No one else . . . And Dregor also found from the neighbors that it was a house of i-illuminators before Heslant._ Eragon gasped, and Saphira yelped in astonishment.

 _You know what that means!_ Saphira said, and Eragon was really excited.

 _My grandparents were illuminators! What if I am . . ._ Eragon trailed off, hoping that he was right.

 _You must be!_ Saphira told him confidently, and he smiled at her. _All evidence that we have points to the fact that you could be related to him._

 _Only one way to find out, we will have to leave for Kuasta as fast as possible, how about the day after tomorrow?_ Eragon said.

Saphira stared at him for a while, then consented.

 _Aye, but what about the others?_

 _They will come with us! . . . Oh no._ Eragon said suddenly. All his excitement vanished abruptly at a thought that just occurred in his mind.

 _What?_ Saphira seemed a little unsettled by the sudden turn of his emotions from anticipation to guilt and fear.

 _Arya . . . and the others. They don't know about Heslant, or about Crugan. If we want them to come with us, we will have to tell them._ Eragon said. He and Saphira had kept the knowledge a secret for the past century, and only the two of them knew of it. They had tried to disclose it several times, but something had always stopped them.

 _If that's the case, then we will tell them._ Saphira said simply, but she was a little solemn as well.

Eragon watched Saphira fly towards Thorn, Valinor and Draumr, who were all flying together. Murtagh and Nasuada were at their home, and Arya was downstairs. Eragon had called her, and had told her that it was important.

 _I just hope she will forgive me for this._ Eragon thought, a little apprehensive nevertheless.

The door opened and Arya walked in. Her hair was set free, and she was wearing a beautiful golden dress, flowing and shimmering in the light of the candles and of the moon.

"The weather is getting really pleasant now, isn't it? You and Saphira should have joined us sooner." Arya muttered, beaming at him.

"We should have, but I had something else on my mind then . . . Which is what I want to tell you at the moment." Eragon said, a globule of sweat flowing down the side of face. Arya's smile faded away, replaced by a look of worry. She knew Eragon so well now, that she could tell by just looking at his face that something was wrong, and that it was going to surprise her, in a bad way.

"What is wrong Eragon?" Arya said sharply. She sat down on the bed, beside him, and held his hand tightly. Her grip was so tight that it ached, but he resisted the urge to shrug her hand off.

"I . . . I hid something from you all these years, Arya." Eragon said a little too bluntly, but he didn't look at her. He stared at her hand, which tightened even more. "I-I had my reasons."

 _I should have been more subtle, by the heavens. I am a mule!_ Eragon thought, cursing himself for getting straight to the topic.

"What?" Arya said in an undertone after a few seconds.

Eragon placed his hand other hand on hers, "I didn't want you to be troubled, you had suffered a lot, and it was time there was nothing but happiness and peace in your life. So I didn't tell you, but I-"

He was interrupted by Arya, and her voice was a little faint, "Enough Eragon, don't beat about the bush. Tell me, what is this about?"

Eragon finally met her in the eyes, and he noticed the way they drooped slightly when they saw the helplessness and guilt in his eyes.

"Alagaesia… is not safe, even after Galbatorix's death. Galbatorix was not an enemy to Alagaesia, but to the Riders. He did not mean to dominate all of Alagaesia in evil, at least, not after the century of ruling. But, there is someone who does wish that way . . .He is a Shade, and he is probably a thousand years old." Eragon said, and Arya let go of his arm. There was wordless surprise, and pain in her eyes, which made the hair at the back of Eragon's neck stand and made his palm tingle.

"He was the first threat to the Riders, and he was defeated and forced to flee by Eragon the first and Anurin. Then Eragon and Anurin, their mates, along with all their four dragons chased him after Vrael became the Lead Rider . . . I don't know where they are, but this Shade, Crugan, was not alone either. Galbatorix told me all of this before I killed him. And, he said that Crugan is planning to return to Alagaesia and to try and dominate it once more. And this time, we aren't as prepared as Eragon the first, Anurin and Vrael were." Eragon told her.

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them for a while, and Eragon looked away from the glistening green eyes, he could bear it no longer.

 _Please forgive me, Arya._ Eragon thought to himself, but resisted the urge to enter her mind and listen to what she was thinking.

Arya stood up and looked at him, anger evident on her face and in her eyes, "You knew all along these hundred years, and you didn't even bother to mention it to me?" Her voice was accusing and bitter.

Eragon stood up as well, "I told you, I wanted you to be happy, and not worried. I was worried about it, and I acted on it as well."

Arya ignored his statement, "You hide the fact that there is someone out there who can destroy our land . . . our loved ones, family and friends. You hide it and decide to bide your time, so that I can be happy? I would have been happier if you would have confided this in me decades ago!" Arya said, crossing her arms.

"I . . . am sorry Arya." Eragon said.

Arya gave a frustrated sigh, then turned away from him. She walked over to the window. Valinor and Draumr could be heard humming, happy to be together.

"Eragon, this was a grave mistake that you made. But I shall deliberate on that later." Arya turned to him, and Eragon noticed that her countenance was so much like Islanzadi's; he bowed his head just out of sheer memory of when he had first met the deceased elven queen.

"I know it was Arya, and I apologize for it . . . Please?" Eragon said, and Arya glared at him so intensely, it made him fidget. As she spoke, her voice become louder and louder.

"You think it is easy, to forgive the person you love the most for hiding something so terrible for a hundred years?. . .Well, do you?" Arya was shouting by the end.

Eragon jumped a little at the tone of her voice, then slowly walked closer to her, risking bodily harm as well as mental.

"See this Arya, I did what I did for you . . . Because I-"

"Because you felt it was right! I know!" Arya shouted again. Eragon winced.

"Ever since Vrael has given you his knowledge, power and experience, you have become such a self dependent person, Eragon. Would it have hurt you to tell me this sooner, maybe a couple of years after the war? No, you decided to be a hypocrite and-" Arya stopped suddenly and stared at him for a while, trying to control herself. Eragon shivered, he had never seen her so angry before. Arya's quivering hand rose to her face, and she turned away from Eragon. Her words had pained him a lot, but he tried to put it aside.

 _Blast it!_ Eragon thought to himself after decades. The last time he had said that was when Deaother had tripped him while they had both been sparring, and Eragon had lost due to the trickery his son had done.

 _How can this make her so angry? Either I underestimated my own actions, or I seriously don't understand Arya._

To his astonishment, there was a tear running down Arya's eye.

Eragon slowly walked closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, only to have it shrugged off, though he spoke anyway.

"Arya, what is done is done. I can't undo the past. But at least now you can help me. I promise to you then, to-"

"I don't want your empty promises." Arya said croakily.

"Arya, you don't need to be so angry. I haven't done something so terrible, and what I did doesn't mean that I don't trust you. I trust you as much as I trust myself . . . more, and I love you more than I love myself. Can't you understand how painful it was for me to hide it from you?" Eragon asked her, and Arya turned to look at him, her eyes glistening.

"And do you know how painful it is for me to know that you were hiding something from me? Me! Who has told each and everything about myself, about my feelings, my-"

"That is irrelevant, this is different than love. This is evil that we are speaking about, and I chose love over it. Because if I had let this evil to be known by you, I would have put away the love that we shared. And that would have been a disaster for me." Eragon said, resorting to verbal trickery to turn the situation. Though, it didn't seem to work on Arya.

"You are a fool if you think you can trick me with words, I have been with you for almost a hundred years Eragon . . . But never did I suspect something like this! I trusted you to . . . " Arya trailed off and wiped her eyes, seemingly oblivious to Eragon's pained, but flabbergasted, look.

Eragon paused for a moment, then he hugged Arya gently. She tried to move away from him, but gave in after a moment. She sobbed for a while on his shoulder, and he couldn't decipher what was the true reason for her to cry, but he held her warmly in his embrace. They remained in each others arms for a long time then, and both were reluctant to break the silence.

"You don't have to cry for this, where is your strength?" Eragon whispered in her ear.

"I-It has dissolved . . . because of you." Arya told him, and Eragon smiled. There was silence between them for some more time, while Eragon stroked her hair.

"Listen Arya," Eragon told her finally. "I know how you are feeling because I hid this from you, but you must understand that I felt more pained to hide it. And now that I have told you, it feels much better."

Arya nodded slowly, but remained in his embrace.

"Now, we must work together to protect out homes, our families. We are the Riders, and we must protect Alagaesia at all costs." Eragon said.

Holding her face with both his hands, he gently raised it so that he was looking into her eyes.

"There is much more to be done, much that I shall need your help, support and most of all, love for . . . Will you help me?" Eragon asked her, and she held his forearms. She was silent for several minutes, and Eragon could feel that Saphira had gone through the same experience with Thorn.

"Why did you tell me all this now, Eragon?" Arya asked him suddenly.

"I tell you this now, because we are going to find Heslant the monk, who wrote Domia Abr Wyrda, he is . . . " Eragon began, and told her everything that he knew of the man, his theory that they were related, and everything else that Galbatorix had told him about Crugan. By the end of the narration, Arya seemed graver than before, but hey eyes had a glint in them.

There was silence for a while, blissful silence that made Eragon feel like it would never end. He just kept on staring at Arya, who kept staring at Eragon's forearms.

"I am your mate, Eragon, and I shall always help you, just as I shall always love you." Arya said finally.

Eragon smiled widely, and kissed her most passionately, conveying all his love through that single act.

Though hope seemed high to these couples, the wind in the North blew on, and the flapping of wings grew ever louder.


	7. Chapter 6

**_Chapter 6: Another Journey Begins._**

Murtagh stood in front of Eragon, a hand on the pommel of Zar'roc, and he was astounded. He was at Eragon's house, along with Arya and Nasuada. The dragons were outside.

"So you are saying this Heslant knows something important, and that we must find him." Murtagh said.

Eragon nodded, "Not just that, Crugan is still a threat, and we must be ready for him. He can attack us anytime soon, he might be planning it even now. A hundred years, I thought he will attack and that we will be defeated. Fortunately he hasn't come, but I am sure he will. We must be ready before that." Eragon told them all.

Nasuada scratched her chin thoughtfully, "So, we are going to leave for Kuasta today?"

Eragon and Arya nodded.

"But isn't Heslant in Tierm?" Murtagh asked. "You said so."

"Yes I know I did, Murtagh. Yet we need to know more of this Helsant before approaching him." Eragon told him.

The gentle and soothing voice of Saphira's voice broke the conversation as she said in all their minds. _Nesmrial approaches, and Solembum and Laun are with her._

Thank you, Saphira. Eragon replied, and they waited. Sure enough, after a minute, footsteps could be heard on the oaken floor. The door knob turned and a short woman, with a cloud of curly hair behind her face, and garbed in dark leather shirt and leggings entered the room. It was Nesmrial (Angela), and with her were Solembum and Laun.

 _I believe I can add some light to this dark matter._ A voice said, which Murtagh recognized as Laun's.

Eragon stood up and greeted them, as did everyone else. Nesmrial was almost the same witty self as before. Solembum had grown larger and Laun was the same. Nesmrial lived in Doru Araeba, along with Solembum. Laun was Eragon's advisor, but he always spoke in riddles which annoyed Saphira (who was one of the best at riddles) and Arya.

Murtagh turned to Solembum, who was staring at all of them impassively.

 _So, what is this light that you wish to project?_ Murtagh asked the werecats, who looked at each other.

 _Solembum, you were the one who lead Heslant to Teirm, weren't you?_ Eragon asked suddenly, and there were gasps from the surroundings.

 _No, I was not._ Solembum said calmly, and began licking his paw.

 _It was me._ Laun said, and looked at Eragon with great interest.

 _So, what did he look like?_ Eragon asked, and the eagerness in the room grew.

"First of all, hear what I have to say!" Nesmrial said suddenly, and they all turned to her.

"Heslant the monk was the old man who was able to talk to Solembum, and who refused my offer to read his future. I did mention him to you, Eragon." Nesmrial said, looking at him sternly. After a hundred years, her face had begun to get lines on it now, though they weren't too prominent. Her eyes were deeper than before, and her hair was longer.

"So, that was him, he must still be in Teirm right?" Arya asked her.

Nesmrial nodded at her, then said, "He must be, but he was half crazy then. He didn't know the difference between a man and a woman, and he kept on ranting about some white, bald head. He didn't even seem to notice his surroundings. He is probably dead by now, either starved or beaten to it."

Murtagh saw Eragon's face turn from hopeful to somber.

"Well, we have to go to Kuasta anyway. We will journey there first, and then we will go to Teirm . . . is that fine?" Eragon asked them.

"Yes, it is." Murtagh said, and he was imitated by almost everyone else. The dragons were silent, and were probably having a discussion of their own.

"I am coming with all of you!' Nesmrial said suddenly.

 _So, when are we leaving?_ Thorn asked.

 _In a few hours, I better get your and Draumr's saddle, and all the other things that I need._ Murtagh said.

He rummaged in the cupboard of his room, and cursed foully when he dropped a heavy book on his head.

 _Spells of magic . . . By Nasuada, Rider of Draumr?_ Murtagh thought as Thorn snorted. He looked at the book for a few more seconds, then threw it onto the bed and pulled the saddles out.

 _I really can't believe Eragon hid all that from us. He is a daft!_ Murtagh said, grabbing some saddlebags.

 _He did what was right, informing us of that backstabbing-cowardly-useless-Shade would have just incensed and irritated us. We won a great victory, and it was time to celebrate, not to be tense and jumpy, thinking that the enemy will attack us anytime. I really admire what Eragon and Saphira did, even if Saphira is my mate._

 _You are so optimistic!_ Murtagh said ruefully, throwing Zar'roc to the bed as well.

 _It's a matter of perspective, my good Rider._ Thorn said, and he could be heard laughing at the balcony.

 _Probably._ Murtagh grunted, and finally placed both the saddles and a dozen saddlebags at the balcony.

After a while, he picked up Zar'roc and belted it on.

 _Best be off in style._ Murtagh told Thorn.

 _Nasuada will be impressed . . . with the mess you have made over here._ Thorn agreed.

Murtagh grunted in reply, then waited for his wife and her dragon to come.

They did, after several minutes.

Nasuada looked around the room, a little exasperated. She was wearing lilac dress, and at that moment Murtagh couldn't think of anything that would suit her better.

She gave a sigh, then placed her hands on her hip, just as Draumr landed next to Thorn.

"You call this packing?" Nasuada demanded, glaring at the mess on the bed, and at the open cupboard. Murtagh gave her an apologetic look when she turned to him, then she walked over to the saddle bags and emptied all of them.

"Seriously Murtagh, you should leave this type of work to those who know how to do it." Nasuada told him.

Murtagh grinned, and hugged her tightly. "That's what you are here for."

 _That's really not what I had expected._ Thorn told them, and he and his daughter laughed.

Finally, after an hour and a half, they were all ready. The dragons were saddled; Eragon had talked to the other elders and informed them of their impending departure.

The four of them were atop their own dragons, at the balcony of Murtagh's house.

"Now, begins another journey . . . may it be fruitful." Eragon said.

With three great flaps, all the four dragons flew off towards south-west.

 _How long do you think this might take?_ Murtagh asked Thorn.

 _A couple of days, at the most._ Thorn replied.

 _Let us hope that Eragon is related to that monk. Otherwise, this will be a waste._

 _Aye._


	8. Chapter 7

**_Chapter 7: The Prince, Rider and Dragon Depart . . ._**

"Father, you have had your lunch, haven't you?" Angrenost asked, standing in Orothim's room. The man was middle-aged, had a long, grey beard, and was the king. He was wearing long robes of bright red, and had a small, graying beard. He wore a crown, light emanated from each of the gems placed on it. They were in the King's quarters, which had a round, huge double bed, covered with a golden bed spread. There were no windows in the room, but the room itself was long, and had a balcony to the left. A couple of wardrobes were to the right.

"No. I wasn't hungry." Orothrim said in a low voice.

"Come father, you know that you have to eat this on time, you-"

"Angrenost, I know whether I should eat or not, don't pester me." Orothrim told him, though not angrily. Angrenost frowned.

"Father, you have to eat or you'll grow much weaker than you are now. And your subjects wouldn't want to see you like this, would they?" Angrenost pressed unperturbedly.

"I am not hungry, son. Go and have your own food." Orothrim replied in a half-hearted voice.

"Father, if you don't eat, then I shall not eat either!" Angrenost said decisively, and Orothrim chuckled at his reply.

"You never change do you, Angrenost? How many times have I told you to stop looking after me and think of yourself a little more . . . You are twenty years of age, the perfect time for you to marry. Think of that as well." Orothrim told him, and shot him an amused look.

Angrenost turned away from his father, something which made the King laugh loudly, "Are you shy, Angrenost?"

A grin cracked on the Prince's face, "Of course not, father . . . shall I order the food to be brought?"

"Nothing diverts your focus from the point either . . . Go ahead, call for it." Orothrim told him.

Angrenost smiled at his father, and ordered one of the guards outside the room for the food to be brought. The guards could be heard shouting the message to the maid, who then took it to the cooks a few levels away.

As it was, being a prince, Angrenost was responsible for many affairs of the Broddring Kingdom, the affairs which his father had entrusted to him. He was good at his work, and was just. Orothrim knew that he would make a fine king.

In the time he had stayed at the capital, Angrenost had been spending a lot of time with the Rider stationed at Carvahall. His name was Nolfavrell. He was the Rider of a white dragon, Ohen. They were both good friends, and Nolfavrell had known Roran, Angrenost's great, grandfather.

"Angrenost, my son, I have some work for you, if you don't mind." Orothrim said, and smiled at the servant who brought in food for him. The servant placed the food on a table in front of the King, then bowed to him and Angrenost, and stepped out.

"Of course I don't mind, what is it?" Angrenost asked.

"You must go to . . . Beirland, on the island of Eoam. The Governor there has some problems. We had a discussion yesterday, through scrying, and he told me that Beirland had been attacked by about a dozen magicians. He doesn't know where they came from, but the dragon and Rider stationed there managed to force those scoundrels to retreat. This happened . . . a couple of days back." Orothrim told him. Angrenost raised an eyebrow.

His father ate a mouthful of the meat he had been brought and continued, "The Rider and dragon there are elvish, Illeria is the name of the Rider. I don't know the name of the dragon though . . . You should go to them, and take on the management of the city. I trust you more than the Governor of that place . . . Is it agreeable?" Orothrim eyed him sternly, and Angrenost thought for a while, after which he nodded.

"Aye, father, I agree. I shall leave next week."

"But be you careful . . . news has reached me that there is something very queer going on there. It might be dangerous, more than what you anticipate. Don't underestimate anyone, my son, remember that." Orothrim told him with an even sterner look.

Angrenost bowed, "Your wish is my command, father."

The waves crashed against the shore, creating a rustling noise as they seeped back from the sand. Sea gulls flew freely, enjoying the mild sea breeze.

Illeria stood on the shore, breathing the salty air. All around her was sand, except ahead, where the unconquerable sea was thrumming. Several miles away, was the city of Beirland. Here and there, on the shore, many palm trees could be seen.

Illeria had long, silver hair, which reached up to her waist; her face was beautiful and angled like any other elf. She was wearing a silver tunic over maroon leggings. Her eyes were grey, and her eyebrows and eyelashes were silver like her hair.

She was alone on the shore as her white dragon, Lenora, was off hunting.

The city of Beirland had been attacked by several magicians just a couple of days ago, and the entire island was on alert. No one knew where they had come from, for there was no ship. Out of those magicians, half a dozen had fled, and when Illeria tried to locate them with her mind, they were no where to be found on the island.

The only sensible answer to this mystery could be the fact that could be that the magicians had been teleported to the island, and they had escaped using the same method.

 _But that is just ridiculous. They would have to be about twenty times stronger than they were to teleport the distance. There is more to this than meets the eye._ Illeria thought. She kept her hand on the pommel of her sword, Mor'ranr.

In the fifty years of her immortal life, Illeria had never been so shocked. She was the daughter of Bellaen, of the House of Miolandra and Yeorva of the House of Undiouniel. Her father was the younger brother of Lady Enaevia. She had met the old lady a fair few times, and had been a bit surprised at the amount of hate that the elf encompassed towards Eragon.

Illeria had been Arya's student, who was Eragon's mate. She had asked her of the reason why Lady Enaevia hated Eragon so much, and Arya had told her that it was best left unsaid.

Now, Illeria was walking, staring at the endless depths of the sea. She had lived with it for a decade, and it was really soothing and relaxing for her to just stare at the ocean and be lost in the wave of her thoughts.

 _Still here?_ A cool, feminine voice said in her mind.

 _Yes, Lenora . . . How do you think those magicians could have entered Eoam? There were no ships, and when we tried to locate them with our minds, we couldn't find them._

 _I can't say, though the theory you worked out might be right._ Lenora said thoughtfully. Illeria smiled; Lenora had a very annoying habit of looking through her emotions, thoughts and feelings in great detail all the time. It was practically impossible for her to hide a single thought from her dragon.

 _But wouldn't it need a lot of energy to teleport all those men? And those men were certainly not powerful enough to be capable of such feats. Why, the two of us were more powerful than half of them put together._ Illeria told her.

 _I can't say you are wrong, but do you have any other explanations?_ Lenora asked, and Illeria saw her coming from the north.

 _No . . . but this is not right either. Face it, we don't know. This is a mystery that we will have to solve as soon as possible._

 _Agreed . . . wait, those floating crystals, they seem different._ Lenora told her suddenly.

Illeria looked at her in surprise, and the dragon gazed at the south of the island with equal astonishment.

Wild magic permeated in the south of the island, and it was in the form of crystal orbs, that floated around, but within a limit of two or three miles. The crystals that floated there were spherical, translucent, and of different colors, namely the colors of the rainbow. The crystals weren't of the same size, some were the size of Illeria's head, and others were ten times that size. The remaining were decreasing in size to the smallest, the size of hazelnuts, or increasing to the biggest size already told. They floated in any direction, then gently veered in some other direction seemingly of their accord.

It was theorized that when the elves came to Alagaesia from Alalea, two elves had been separated by the sea. The lady elf had remained in Alalea, she had been unable to get aboard the ship, and her mate had come to Alagaesia, believing that the elf was in one of the ships. They had cried for each other, and cried for months. In the end, the male elf decided that he couldn't live without her, and he had come to Eoam. There, he had sung and sung in the Ancient language for a day, and had jumped straight into the ocean. With his dive into the water, bubbles were formed. Those bubble rose out of the waters, controlled by the magic he had used. No one yet knew how those bubbles became crystals or how they floated, though it was said that when the elf fell into the water, the magic was forced out of him by the sea water as it rushed into his body, and the magic got imbued into that region of the island. This theory was not full-proof, yet unfortunately, not many even took the interest to find the truth.

 _What's different?_ Illeria asked.

 _Their colors . . . weren't they only of the colors of the rainbow?_

 _Aye._

 _There's one more color there, and only some crystals have that color._

 _Which color is it?_

 _Black . . . It is pure black, like a hole that passes into the void. And it wasn't there before._ Lenora told her. She swooped down and landed next to her, and she hurriedly jumped onto the dragon's back, holding the neck spike.

 _Let's go, come on._

Lenora growled and took off. Her legs pushed the ground with teeth chattering force, and Illeria held the spike even more tightly. They swept towards the south of the island, and Illeria stared at it, still in awe at the wild magic that dominated that region of the island.

But there were crystals colored black there as well now, and most of them were huge. They were wholly filled with darkness, and even the sunlight did not illuminate them.

 _That's really . . . . wait! I see something inside those orbs._ Illeria pointed at the largest one, which was so black, it seemed that if Lenora were to fly through it, she would seep through and into the abyss of darkness.

But, in that orb, was not just darkness. Illeria was sure she had seen men inside, and the inner side of a cave or a tunnel. Both of them stared at it as hard as they could from a distance, and they both jumped. There were men inside and they could be seen running around. Their surroundings were of dark stone, which had been mined. It looked as if the view inside the orb was from the bottom of a ground, looking up at the men.

 _This doesn't seem safe . . . Illeria, we must inform the Lead Rider of this!_ Lenora said, and hurriedly flew away, while Illeria was silent in her shock.

Behind them, a face filled with rage and anticipation glared at the dragon and Rider, from inside the largest orb. He knew that they would cause just what he wanted them to cause, and that was confusion. But, he was furious at the work his men had done, they had almost given away their surroundings and spoiled the entire plan.

"We must be more careful, Slovin!" Someone shouted, from inside the city.

From one of the towers of the castle, a lone figure in white robes watched the dragon and Rider come towards the city, knowing that they were leaving Eoam as soon as possible, knowing that the Prince was coming. He grinned at the fact that his plan was coming into effect so smoothly. Soon, He would accomplish his desire, and that of his master.

Behind the figure, several men stood in a circle, their hands raised. Between them was a large bowl of water that showed the Dragon and Rider flying away.

"Enough, stop the magic! We have accomplished what was needed, now all we must do is wait." The figure in the white robes said and waved his hand. The water in the bowl cleared, and the floating crystals returned to their true colors.

"Death awaits, Prince . . ." The figure said, and the thirteen men around him laughed.


	9. Chapter 8

**_Chapter 8: The Couples_**

"Greetings friend, you must be Deaother, aye?" Kielle said as Deaother appeared in a light brown tunic and leggings, his bright sword on his left hip, hanging from a leather belt.

Worian and Vaelia turned to him, and he smiled and nodded at Kielle, "Aye, I am here. I believe you know my name, but I do not know yours."

Kielle smiled at him, "You may not know me, but my name is Kielle, daughter of Veorien."

"Well met, Kielle." Deaother said. "I was wondering . . . Will anyone spar with me?" He turned to Vaelia as he spoke since she was the one who had invited him.

Vaelia stared at him, then turned to Kielle, who said, "I would, but Worian and I have a competition we must complete. Vaelia, you will have to spar Deaother." Kielle winked at Vaelia, while Deaother raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think Deaother will win against Vaelia, she is the Princess after all." Worian said, and Deaother grinned.

 _I am not planning to win anyway . . ._ Deaother thought. He had decided that he would let the person who was going to spar with him to win a few times, because he didn't want to seem like an arrogant person who began displaying his talent from the beginning itself. He was sure it would make a bad impression of him.

Vaelia scowled at Worian, "He is the son of the Lead Rider, show some respect."

Worian just shrugged, not bothering to even look at Deaother, then drew his sword. Kielle pulled a spear and they both blocked their sharp edges. In a couple of minutes, both of them had taken the ready stances, staring at the opponent's weapon, which were shining in the sunlight.

With a yell from Worian, they began the furious match.

Deaother watched for a while, then looked at their surroundings. There were several elves sparring here and there, between the pines. Some were teaching and instructing, while others were just practicing.

 _Looks like I have to fight her._ Deaother thought, and a little unease wormed its way into his mind.

"So, Deaother, are you ready?" Vaelia asked and drew his sword. Deaother imitated her, and they blocked the edges.

"Aye, I am. " Deaother told her, then stood straight with his sword parallel to the ground, its tip pointing at Vaelia.

Vaelia crouched, she was in a red tunic over leaf green leggings. Her dark hair was tied into a long pony tail. Deaother couldn't think anyone who was prettier than her.

Vaelia dived forwards, swinging her sword at his neck in a blur, a focused look on her face. Deaother blocked the blow, moving his arm alone, and not his legs or any other part of his body.

 _That was too easy!_ Deaother noted.

Vaelia seemed shocked at the ease with which he had stopped her attack, then she charged again, this time swinging at his chest. Deaother stepped back and avoided the sword easily, and stopped a smile from coming to his face.

Vaelia seemed really astounded by his accomplishment, because then she waited and stared at him with such intensity, he turned down and looked at his sword after a few seconds of gaping into her deep black eyes.

 _Why do I feel like this? I have never felt so . . . shy, in front of any other woman before. There is something very odd to these feelings I have about her, and I must find out what._ Deaother decided.

Vaelia sighed, then charged again, swinging at his knees. Deaother tried to parry the blow, but the blade swung upwards at the last moment, and Deaother was forced to twist painfully to the side to avoid it. Straightening up, he retaliated with a jab, which Vaelia parried. He struck at her again from the side, but she ducked under the blow and swiftly bashed the hilt of her sword into his belly, knocking the wind out of him.

Deaother gasped, then ducked in the next second as her sword came for his neck. He jumped back as soon as it passed overhead, and he ended up a yard away from her.

"You are good." Deaother said, a smile on his face.

"You are not bad either." Vaelia replied.

Her sword whistled at his ribs, and he struck it aside easily. Vaelia's smile vanished, to be replaced by an intense look of concentration. Her eyebrows met, to form a fearful 'V'.

Deaother blocked another blow and pushed her sword down, not letting her pull it back. Vaelia gave a frustrated grunt, first time Deaother had heard a woman make that noise, and she swung the sword wildly to the side. The sword slid away from Deaother, and he hurriedly raised his own sword to block any incoming blow.

Vaelia froze in place as she saw his reaction, then she spun in a half circle and slashed at his knees. Deaother got a sharp rap on his leg, and he nearly lost his balance, but didn't fall forward because a sword's tip placed on his neck was keeping him straight. Deaother smiled, the duel had ended as abruptly as it had begun, and he had lost.

"Dead." Vaelia exclaimed, taking a deep breath, and returning his smile uncertainly.

"You are very good at sparring, Princess Vaelia." Deaother told her, his face warming a bit. "No one has defeated me so easily before." Deaother continued. Though he was telling her the truth, he had just been toying with her.

Vaelia's smile widened, and Deaother smiled back, though his face grew warmer the longer he looked at the elven Princess. Next to them, Worian and Kielle were muttering surprised exclamations, but Deaother didn't comprehend. He was lost in Vaelia's deep, black eyes, which seemed like beautiful black pearls to him.

"Good Morning." A stunning voice said from behind Ephian. The music of the voice washed over him, entrancing him, and made him feel as if he had won the world over. He closed his eyes, wishing for the voice to continue talking.

"I said, Good Morning, Ephian sir!" The voice said again, and he savored the time he listened to it until the word 'sir' brought him back to Alagaesia painfully.

Ephian turned around and saw Elva standing there, her black and straight hair falling past her shoulders. She was wearing a bright red tunic over black, leather leggings, and her eyes were lustrous. Ephian just gaped at her for a couple of minutes, and she gaped back awkwardly, until he caught his tongue.

"Don't call me 'Sir', Elva." Ephian said, and Elva blushed slightly.

"Aye, I won't."

Ephian then looked around, they were still in the dragonhold; it was a bright and cool morning. The dragon were no where to be seen. The wind was blowing inwards, and Elva seemed to be shivering.

"So, how was your journey?" Ephian asked ineptly, eager to begin a conversation. He felt very queer talking to her, and he didn't understand why. As she began to reply, he suddenly blushed without reason, and covered it up by rubbing his face.

"It was fine, enjoyable rather." Elva told him, and Ephian noticed her cross her arms as the wind blew with more force.

"Let us go into the castle, it is cold here." Ephian told her, but she shook her head.

"No, let us remain here. You have to tell me about this mission of ours, and we must wait for the dragons . . . Let us stay." Elva told him, and sat down, leaning against the cold wall.

"As you wish." Ephian said, though he remained standing. "This mission of ours is complicated, and we are the only ones for almost a century to embark on a mission as dangerous as this. Why do I use such heavy words? I shall explain."

Elva crossed her legs and looked at him with excited eyes as Ephian pulled out a map of the Beor Mountains and took it to her. He sat down next to her, and pointed at a mountain just next to Galfni, which was a dwarven city situated in a valley. It was ruled by the Dûrgrimst Az Sweldn Rak Anhuin, which was rather hostile towards the Dragons and Riders, but they did not dare harm them.

"Those rebel magicians are in this mountain, but there aren't just two dozen men there now . . . I had a letter from Trellony, she is the Rider stationed at Farthen Dur, and she says that the dozen dwarf scouts she sent to explore found this group exploring tunnels in that particular mountain for some reason. Of course, only a couple of those scouts survived. I have a feeling that these rebels are looking for the dream well in Mani's caves, they are the caves belonging to this mountain." Ephian told Elva, and her face became rigid. She unfolded her legs, and kneeled in front of the map, a worried look on her face.

"If they are going after that Well . . . but they don't know how to interpret the wild magic imbued into that well, they can't cause too much harm can they? And to interpret it, they would need more men." Elva said.

Interpreting wild magic was a technique used by magicians or sorcerers to control magic, and have take any shape. It had been found by the elves long ago, even before Vrael became the Lead Rider, though it was not encouraged. It was very difficult and dangerous, but once done, the interpreter could control the magic, make it do whatever he or she may want.

"Exactly, but that's the bad news. Now, their numbers have more than doubled, and there are about fifty men there. They wouldn't be a problem for the four of us, but there are rumors of a . . . . Shade. They say that he is tall, has black hair that reaches up to his shoulders in a tangled mess, his eyes are grey and his body appears thin..." Ephian stopped as Elva's eyes widened.

"H-How can there be a Shade with them?" Elva asked.

"I don't know, Elva, and I am not sure if these rumors are true. They probably aren't, but we should expect the worst. Am I understood?" Ephian said. Elva looked at him, and he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked even when she was upset.

"Now we-" Ephian stopped abruptly because Elva's hand brushed against his as she moved it on the ground. Elva blushed a bit, as did Ephian, and both didn't look at each other for a while.

After some minutes, Ephian said croakily, "Now, we have to get to Galfni, from Tronjheim of course. Shall we leave today?"

Elva looked up, and they both gazed into each other's eyes, but she hurriedly said, "Y-yes, if you wish." Then stood up and began to walk to her saddlebags.

 _You are so beautiful, Elva . . ._ Ephian thought to himself once more, but wrestled with the thought and subdued it. Berating himself for being a fool, he himself stood up, rolled up the map and put it away.

Eridor stared at Jiarha, who was flying several yards ahead of him. She was smaller than him in size, but she was wiser than him in many aspects. When they woke up a couple of hours ago, they found their Riders still sleeping, so they left them to their dreams and decided to fly around and talk.

 _So, how was it in Doru Araeba?_ Jiarha asked. They were both flying over the Leona Lake.

 _It was fine, you know, but it does feel great to be somewhere outside Vroengard._ Eridor told her.

Jiarha pulled her wings back and glided for a while, letting Eridor catch up. He did, but he was admiring how the light reflected her black scales all the time. He could feel Elva's emotions of attraction towards Ephian, and he himself was rather fond of Jiarha.

 _I know, I was stuck there for three decades until I and Ephian finally became Rangers._

 _Good . . . Elva didn't want to apply for a higher post, she said she was happy as she was. But then, she was bored of it, so the two of us decided that it was time to get a higher rank._ Eridor told her. He usually didn't give away so much of himself, but he thought that if he showed that he trusted Jiarha, she would trust him as well. He was right.

 _Ephian always wants to get better and better. He dreams of becoming the Lead Rider after Eragon steps down._

 _Does he now? He really is ambitious._ Eridor said, impressed.

 _He is, isn't he? I am really proud of him, though_. Jiarha told him, pride bubbling in her voice.

 _A dragon who isn't proud of their Rider is a fool and that is something I agree with whole heartedly._ Eridor told her. She growled in affirmative.

They swept up the lake, then turned and headed for the city again, because both of them realized that their Riders were awake.

 _So tell me, what are your interests other than just flying?_ Jiarha asked.

Eridor snorted. _Keeping Elva out of trouble. With her, it's a full time job._

 _Oh really?_

 _Yes . . . What is yours?_

Jiarha let out a small cloud of black flames. _Trying to keep Ephian happy, and not downtrodden._

 _Why?_

 _He is always very serious, and takes everything to his heart. He isn't the casual types, you know._ She said a little sadly.

Eridor looked at her, and she looked back.

 _He will be fine, you know that. Don't worry, Elva will make him pleasant. It's impossible to be with her and not change._ Ephian will change, I promise you. Eridor told her.

 _I hope you are right._ Jiarha said, her voice a little sweeter than before.

And so, the three couples were, happy and pleased together, not knowing the unimaginable depths of love. Death opposed it, and in the southwest it lurked.


	10. Chapter 9

**_Chapter 9: At Kuasta_**

 _Almost there._ Saphira said. They swooped over the mountains of the Spine and the city finally came into view.

Eragon stared at the city, a gleam in his eyes. This was the birthplace of his father, and a place he had visited rarely. It really was isolated from the rest of Alagaesia, and peculiar superstitions were still followed there.

It was situated a mile from the seashore, and it seemed that the houses in it were just cramped together untidily.

 _This doesn't look like a good place to live . . ._ Nesmrial muttered, and the others agreed. There was hardly any place to walk between the alleys and gullies of the city.

Solembum purred, and Laun gave a small roar like an adolescent lion.

The four dragons flew over the walls of the city, and several soldiers and guards cheered. The people of the city watched as the dragons descended towards the tallest building, which was most probably the castle.

 _I don't see any dragon hold here . . ._ Valinor muttered.

 _The dragon hold is on the other side of the castle. We'll go there afterwards._ Thorn said.

Here and there many ruined houses could be seen, and smoke was rising from one of them.

 _Let's land in that courtyard over there._ Draumr muttered and flew forward, followed by Valinor, Saphira and Thorn.

 _Do you think we should have told them we are coming?_ Nasuada asked.

 _I think we should have._ Murtagh said, and all four dragons roared mightily in response to his words. Eragon's extremely sensitive ears throbbed at the sound.

 _Not that it matters anymore._ Murtagh garbled, while the others laughed.

The dragons flew on in silence, but the below them, the citizen looked up in awe and surprise to see the Lead Rider. People were running around, and Eragon was sure that the message of him coming here had been sent to the Governor.

The dragon's glided to the huge courtyard at entrance of the castle, and landed. Several men in fabulous clothes came to them, almost trotting, as Eragon and the others dismounted.

 _Who are they?_ Draumr asked.

 _They are the rulers of the city, Draumr._ Thorn replied, and smoke erupted from his snout. The men stopped immediately when they saw Thorn's flared nostrils., and remained where they were, a little fear on their faces as they gazed at the dragons.

Then one of the men walked forward hesitantly, and kneeled before the Riders, grabbed the soil and tufts of grass, and threw it overhead.

"Welcome, to our city, honored Riders." He said, and Eragon nodded in reply. Just then, another roar sounded above them. Eragon and the others looked up and recognized the dragon as Hefron, his scales as red as Thorn's, and a wide grin on his face. He was the dragon placed in Kuasta, along with his Rider, Dregor.

"Ah, our Rider." The man who was kneeling in front of Eragon spoke with a hint of pride.

Hefron landed in front of Eragon gently, and Dregor got off, smiling from ear to ear. He was wearing a tunic of bright green and black pants. He touched his first two fingers to his lips and began the elven greeting, to which they all replied properly.

"This is great, it is really astounding for you to be here." Dregor said, and his voice betrayed his happiness. He smiled at Nasuada, who was his mentor.

"Looks like you two are doing a good job here. Kuasta has really improved, crime-wise." Nasuada said, making Dregor grin. Behind them, the men of the city watched silently.

"So Dregor, we need to go to this house you mentioned." Eragon told them after a few moments of silence.

"But, Lord Kingslayer, will you not come to our castle and rest for a while?" One man asked.

Eragon smiled at him, "It is not me who needs to rest, but the dragons . . . Shall we, Dregor?" Eragon asked. Dregor nodded and got onto Hefron, who was followed by Eragon.

"I will call you if we find something." Eragon told Arya and the others, who seemed to be on the edge of asking the very same question.

 _Be careful, Eragon._ Saphira said, and Eragon grinned at her.

 _Of what? There isn't exactly anything to fear at the moment._

 _I hope so, but you always get into trouble when you are not with me._

 _I know, but we will see about that later . . . Rest for a while now, my loving dragon._

 _Oh alright, I will._

Hefron roared and took off, and Arya gazed at Eragon with a little worried expression.

"He will be alright Arya, he is a much better at fending for himself than the rest of us." Nasuada told her.

"I know, but this is the first time that he has chosen not to take me or Saphira with him." Arya told her, a little hurt in her voice.

 _If he is going to examine the family tree of his own family, he would like to do it himself, Arya. I would, had I been in his place, but I don't need to now . . ._ Valinor told her, a little sadness in his voice. In the last century, he had not spoken to Glaedr, his father, at all for a reason Arya couldn't understand and Valinor didn't want her to.

They flew on to the west of the city, and Eragon spotted many tall and richly made buildings. Some were two storeys, most were three storeys, and the remaining buildings were just one storey. Almost all of them were made of the same red stone, except one, which was pure white.

"That's the main building of the Arcaena Order." Dregor pointed at the white building, which had several arches and windows, balconies as well. It had a huge garden, which had several peculiar plants and bushes. The building was three storeys and had richly decorated doors and statues. Smoke could be seen flowing out of a couple of chimneys.

 _Shall we go there?_ Hefron asked.

"Later, first go to the house of those illuminators. That matter is more important at the moment." Eragon told them a little eagerly. They agreed, and Hefron put on a burst of speed.

They flew past the white building, and Dregor pointed at a ruined three storey house a little away, to the east.

"That's the house, ebrithil."

Its roof had collapsed, and had fallen onto the third floor. Several tables lay splintered and broken on the roof, along with the rubble and broken stones. The second floor was a little less damaged, with the outer walls and ceiling still intact, but its interiors showed broken furniture and collapsed walls. The first floor was the least damaged, but its door was broken, and hanging on its hinges. The entire building was grey in color, and there wasn't any vegetation near it, as if nature itself had abandoned it to its fate.

 _Be careful inside, the walls are very weak._ Hefron warned Eragon, who nodded.

The dragon landed gently in front of the building, and Eragon jumped off, followed by Dregor.

"Do you know the name of the illuminators who lived here before?" Eragon asked, walking towards the house with a hand on the pommel of Brisingr.

"No, ebrithil, it isn't written anywhere, and no one knows around here. But I did get a painting. It is hard for me to decipher what is drawn on it, but I think you might be able to." Dregor told, and took a rolled up piece of battered parchment from his pocket. He opened it and showed Eragon who nodded at him and then gazed at the picture intently.

It was dyed with grime, and its corners were torn off. Here and there, there was a black spot, where it had probably been burnt.

With a muttered word, the grime was washed away, and with another word, the black spots disappeared. Then Eragon could clearly decipher what was drawn.

About four humans were there in it, and two dragons. One old couple who were standing arm in arm, their clothes were black in color, and the ones that were to be worn in winter. The man's hair was long and formally trimmed, and he had a thick, grey moustache and a long beard. The lady was wearing a hat, which had a long feather on it. Her hair was grey, and she had a pleasant smile on her face. A young man was standing next to them, with a huge green dragon behind him. The man was wearing a jerkin and pants of similar color as the scales of his dragon, and he had a green sword on his hip. Next to the three of them, was a younger man, wearing a blue tunic and black leggings. On his hip was a blue sword, and behind him was a smaller blue dragon.

It was the youngest man that Eragon recognized first, it was Brom, his father. A smile came to his face as he looked at the younger picture of his father and his dragon. He guessed that the older couple were Brom's parents, Holcomb and Nelda.

 _The other man must be Heslant . . . So I am related to him._ Eragon thought.

"Dregor, which one of this do you think is Heslant? The one in the green clothes?" Eragon asked him, showing him the now cleared painting.

"Aye, ebrithil." Dregor said.

Eragon's smile widened. With a triumphant look, he said, "I think our work here is almost done, now all we have to do is get to that family tree."

Dregor nodded and walked forward, towards the door that led to the house. The door was hanging on its hinges, and there were broken, wooden windows on the wall, on either sides of the door.

Dregor walked in cautiously, and Eragon followed. The room was dark, and had several couches, chairs and tables. All of the furniture was broken and splintered. There was a fireplace to the right, but it had bricks in it, as if the chimney had broken down. They were in the sitting cum living room of the house, which was quite wide. One door to the opposite end of the room led deeper into the house. The walls were bare, and did not have any paintings or color.

They proceeded into the next room, and it was much the same as the last one, except that there was a stairway to the right, leading to the next floor of the house, and down to the basement, and a window on the wall ahead of them.

"We need to go down. The tree is just there, and it is quite large." Dregor said. He trotted down the stairs and Eragon followed.

They went down a couple of flights, and entered another room, whose door was still intact. It was black, and had the symbol of the Gedwëy Ignasia on it.

Inside, the room was empty, it had no furniture at all, but three of the four walls had been painted black, except the one right in front of them. It had a family tree, drawn like a proper one, rising from bottom to top. But, it just had the lines and sketches, it did not have any names or occupations.

"There . . . You will have to swear that you are of Heslant's blood relation." Dregor told Eragon.

"Thank you Dregor-vodhr . . . Wait for me outside, will you?" Eragon asked him. Dregor looked at him questioningly for while, then nodded and walked away. Eragon heard the door close softly behind him.

 _Here goes . . ._

Eragon walked forward smoothly, a hand on the hilt of Brisingr. He walked up to the wall and touched it with his left hand. Immediately, light began to emanate the lines and drawings that were made on the wall, and words appeared where he had touched the wall.

"Be you of my relation, you shall decipher this tree, and find that what has remained a secret for the long lost past. I am Heslant, a dragon Rider and previously an illuminator for the Arcaena order. Swear in the language of no lies that we share a bond of blood, and you shall see your family . . ."

Eragon stared at the words, that were glowing white, and they were imbued with magic.

Speaking in the Ancient Language, Eragon said, "I am of you blood relation, Heslant. You are my great uncle . . ."

No sooner had he said those words that the drawings and lines began to glow even more fiercely, and they became golden in color. Alphabets and names began to appear on them, and they became clearer to Eragon. Names of them men, their wives and children were joined by tendrils of light, glowing with the magic stored in the wall.

Eragon watched in silent wonder, his mouth hanging open. He had never expected something like this, he had never thought that a family tree of his own family, or his heritage and lineage would exist. But it did, and he was standing right before it.

 _Heslant or Brom must have done this . . . Probably Heslant._ Eragon thought, then, as all the names and tendrils appeared, Eragon began to read the tree from the top. The name of the husband and wife were written in the same line, but that of their children would be written below them. The name of the daughter would be written either to the far left or to the far right, and the name of the son would be written exactly below the name of the father, and a tendril would join the son's name to that of his sister and his wife; the name of the son's wife was written exactly under the name of the mother. The husbands of the daughters were also written, joined to their wife's names.

The topmost was the person who had begun this family tree, and his name was Irofren, and a tendril of light connected his name to another, which was most probably his wife, Esseria. A tendril began downwards from both these names, and joined, at a point, where was the name of their son and daughter. The son's name was connected to his wife's, and the process repeated itself until it came to the last. The last husband and wife were Holcomb and Nelda, and right below Holcomb's name was the name of Brom.

As Eragon stared at it, and he felt joy as never before, because now he finally knew of his lineage, his ancestors. Elated, he spent several more minutes there, reading each and every name again and again, a wide grin on his face.

 _If only I had known of this before, it would have saved me many a headache. I must show this to Saphira and Arya . . ._ Eragon decided. He wished to add his mother's, his own, Arya's and Deaother's name to the family tree, but he couldn't comprehend how to.

 _And . . . what good will it achieve? I think it best to leave it for now, it is a treasure in itself._ Eragon thought to himself. He just kept on staring at it, elated, and he didn't notice the hour pass.

But then, as he was about to read it once more, Laun arrived there, his tail swishing. The ancient werecat smiled and just observed Eragon, flicking his brown tail from side to side, until Eragon turned around and noticed him.

"I . . . didn't see you there, Laun." Eragon said, a smile still on his face.

 _About time you did, I was beginning to get annoyed . . . have you had your fill of reading?_ Laun asked, then without waiting for an answer he strode out of the room. Eragon understood that Laun was not going to take 'no' for an answer.

Eragon turned to the family tree longingly, then nodded and reluctantly began walking away from the wall, and he saw the light fade away as he did so. He gazed at it, gloomily, wishing nothing more than to meet each and every person's name written there, then turned away and followed Laun out of the room. Behind him, the names of all the people vanished, and the lines returned to their normal, uninteresting state.

 _Heslant is in Teirm, near Nesmrial's old shop. He spends lot of time there, because that is where he met Solembum . . . And Nesmrial offered to tell his future. An offer which he declined._ Laun said calmly as Eragon reach the top of the stairs.

Eragon gaped at the werecat, astounded.

 _You knew this all along, why didn't you tell me?_ Eragon asked him incredulously.

Laun flicked his tail in an amused way. _The time wasn't right, and you never actually asked me._

 _Oh bother!_


	11. Chapter 10

**_Chapter 10: Pursuit for some, Deeds for others_**

 _Thud!_

A magnificent golden dragon flew as fast as possible in the southward direction. It was huge, larger than any dragon in Alagaesia, and it was fleeing. It fly fast above the tall pines, growing higher every year.

Atop it was a Rider, wearing golden armor and he was an elf. His hair were long, black, and were flowing behind him in the wind.

The name of the dragon was Garjzla, it was a male, and one of the greatest dragons that had ever lived. His Rider had once been a Lead Rider, but he had given up his rank to another. His name was Anurin.

 _Thud!_

The dragon plummeted southward, faster than a hawk. But his Rider was looking around, his keen elven eyes observing their surroundings. They were flying over an ocean of trees, and the Rider knew that they were north of Du Weldenvarden.

 _We are getting close, but we are still about a hundred leagues away from Alagaesia._ Anurin told his dragon.

 _A hundred?. . . . Even at this rate it will take at least two days to cover that distance._ Garjzla said, and Anurin sighed in disappointment.

They had come from the west of this region, where the sea ended and the landmass on which Alagaesia was situated joined another one. It had been a tedious journey, which Anurin and Garjzla had embarked upon only once before, several centuries ago. It had taken a month to reach where they were from where they had begun.

They had come from the land of Alalea, the land of elves. It had been ravaged by war, and had ended up in a miserable defeat for the elves, Riders, humans, dwarves and dragons who had supported Anurin. Their enemies had been victorious.

Their enemies were three Shades, out of whom one was the strongest, most twisted and foulest Shade that had ever existed. His name was Crugan, Burthr Abr Andlat, the symbol of fear for many. He was evil, he did not have any empathy, compassion, nor did he care. All he wished for is to have the entire world in his grasp.

He had tried to begin with Alagaesia, which had been his birthplace, but he had failed and fled. He had fled far North until he had reached the convergence of both lands. From there, he had turned east and followed the coast till he had reached Alalea.

Anurin, Garjzla, Eragon the first, Bid'daum and all their mates had followed him. Together, the eight of them, along with a dozen more Riders, had chased Crugan, to put an end to his malevolence. They had chased him hard for months, and had finally reached Alalea. Their trail had been of blood, blood of the Lethrblaka, whom Eragon the first had crippled. But Crugan had been forced to take the Lethrblaka with him; he had taken as many allies as he could.

 _We lost miserably._ Anurin thought, and Garjzla growled.

 _Don't give up hope, we can ask Vrael for help._

 _I know, but I have a sense of foreboding. Alagaesia is not the same any more, it has changed._ Anurin thought.

 _Aye, and I am worried about what mischief Crugan has played. He can create Shades . . . What if he sent one of them to Alagaesia?_ Garjzla muttered.

 _He did send one of them to Alagaesia, two hundred years ago. The name of that Shade was Durza._

 _So, what happened of that Shade?_

 _I do not know, but his mission was to weaken Alagaesia as much as possible, and gain dominance over it if he could, by any means. Let us hope that we won't find him waiting for us, but Vrael could have defeated him in an instant._ Anurin looked around again, as the pines began to increase in height.

 _I do not feel so good about this idea . . . What if Eragon and Bid'daum need us?_ Garjzla muttered.

 _It was his decision, after all. The four of us, you, me, Eragon and Bid'daum have lost a lot in this war with Crugan . . ._ Anurin said, and stopped suddenly as grief and rage slowly crept into him and Garjzla.

They had lost their mates a hundred years ago. They had been dragon and Rider themselves. The Rider had been Seria, who had been Vrael's sister. She and Anurin had been together for centuries. Her sea blue dragoness Adurna had been Garjzla's mate for the same amount of time.

 _They died in vain . . ._ Garjzla said, and Anurin rubbed his scales sadly.

 _No, they did not. Their deaths were not in vain. We will make their sacrifice worth what it was done for._ Anurin told him.

 _Let us hope we will . . . . . Did you hear something just now?_ Garjzla muttered, and flapped to stop hastily, tossing his head from side to side.

 _No, why do you say that?_ Anurin muttered.

 _Because I did . . . It sounded like a screech._ Garjzla said. Then he looked to the north, and he and Anurin, both froze in surprise.

There were five figures chasing them, though they didn't seem to be as big as Garjzla, they were still huge.

 _We are not alone . . . Lethrblaka! They are chasing us!_ Garjzla exclaimed, then veered around and put on such a huge burst of speed that Anurin would have flown off if he would not have been strapped into the saddle. But Anurin didn't notice that obvious fact, because he knew that if those Lethrblaka reached them, then death would be imminent for them.

 _Faster! Faster, Garjzla!_

"Dead, yet again." Vaelia said, and Deaother grinned.

He had lost to her in sparring for the third consecutive time. He had let her win all these times, and that was why he was amused.

"Deaother, you are so . . . pathetic at this? I thought you would be better." Vaelia told him. Deaother was on his knees, and Vaelia's sword was placed at his neck.

"Well, you are too good at this." Deaother told her, and she rapped his cheek lightly with the sword.

"Don't jest; you have lost your touch, haven't you?" Vaelia asked.

They were in the same clearing, where elves practiced sparring, and other than Vaelia and Deaother only Worian and Kielle were present.

"I feel that I am improving rather than degrading, don't you?" Deaother asked her, and she laughed lightly. He was entranced by the sound because it was like the sound of leaves rustling in the soft breeze, and he almost closed his eyes before she began speaking again.

"Get to your feet, I am tired of this. Let us change sparring partners." Vaelia told him and the others as Worian and Kielle reached them. Deaother got up and stared at the three of them.

Worian grinned, "I'll take on Deaother. If Vaelia can beat him so easily, it won't take too much effort on my part."

Deaother did his best to control his laughter as he picked his sword from where he had dropped it.

 _What an arrogant fool! He doesn't really stand a chance. None of these three do and if they are beginning to underestimate me, I am not going to let Vaelia win the next time._

"Sure, Worian, our fathers once sparred in this same field, so shall their sons." Deaother told him.

"Vaelia and I will watch for a while." Kielle told them and she and Vaelia retreated to the edge of the clearing.

"So tell me, Deaother, who taught you to spar?" Worian asked as he began circling Deaother, several yards away from him.

"My father did, when I was about fifteen. What about you?" Deaother asked him in return, imitating him.

"My own father trained me, when I was about twenty." Worian said, shrugging. They both got in their ready positions and were alert, their muscles tensed.

 _Here goes nothing!_

"Scared, huh, Deaother? My father defeated yours several times in the same field." Worian told him, and Deaother felt slightly irritated at his arrogance.

"I know that, Worian, and my father beat yours as well. In fact he broke Vanir's arm." Deaother replied, trying to control his voice.

It seemed that Deaother's retaliation had shut Worian up.

 _Good thing too, I am not going to go easy on him anyway._ Deaother thought angrily. He was beginning to dislike Worian quite a lot all of a sudden. The elf gave him bad vibes.

"Are you ready?" Deaother asked sharply

"I am, give me the best you can, Eragonsson." Worian replied.

Deaother nodded and charged suddenly. He moved faster than Worian anticipated, and slashed at his knees, his sword a blur.

Worian gasped as he failed to dodge the sword, and it rapped him hard on his thigh. Straightening up, Deaother flipped back and waited for Worian to get ready again.

 _He doesn't even seem as good as I thought._ Deaother observed to himself.

Worian looked at him with a raised eyebrow, then swung his sword at Deaother's neck. Deaother blocked the blow easily and pushed his sword aside. Immediately, he swung it at Worian's belly. The sword scratched him there painfully, and he grimaced, pulling his sword back. Deaother made to slash at him again, but Worian hurriedly retreated back a few steps, and the sword missed his shoulder by an inch.

They both stood there then, staring at each other, until Vaelia shouted.

"Come on Worian, you can beat him!"

This sentence astounded Deaother, and hurt him immensely but abruptly.

 _She is supporting him, probably because she thinks he is better than me. . . Fine then, the time has come to show my true colors._ Deaother decided, rage filling his mind for some reason, though he hurriedly calmed himself. Anger would worsen things.

Discarding his previous technique, Deaother crouched and held the sword tightly to his side. He placed his left hand protectively in front of him.

"You can, Worian!" Vaelia cheered again, and Worian smiled at her. Deaother didn't look at him in the eye, but stared at his sword, then he sprinted forwards as fast as he could.

 _Yes Worian, you can . . . receive a hiding to boot._ Deaother thought.

Worian gave a startled cry, and Vaelia and Kielle gave surprised exclamations at his speed, which was a lot more than any other elf, Eragon an exception.

As soon as he reached his opponent, Deaother bashed his sword's edge onto Worian's sword, smacking it to the side. Then he ducked under a punch Worian aimed at his face, and gave him a spinning kick, tripping him to the ground. Worian grunted in pain, then he rolled back and sprang to his feet. He seemed bowled over at Deaother's sudden change in fighting style, and increase in speed, strength and skill.

Deaother swung at the elf's neck, then turned the blow downwards at the last moment, gashing Worian's hip. But before Deaother could pull his sword back, Worian pushed him away. Deaother dashed back a bit, then he again attacked Worian. In this fight, Deaother had the upper hand, and Worian was on the defensive.

Deaother jabbed at Worian's ribs, but the elf parried the blow, and retaliated by trying to bash the hilt of his sword onto Deaother's shoulder. Deaother grabbed Worian's wrist with his left hand before the hit landed, then he twisted it in the opposite direction.

Worian yelled in pain, and he dropped his sword.

 _Looks like I have won!_ Deaother thought, and smiled at Worian.

Deaother held him for a full minute until Worian's face began to go red, then he released Worian and let him jump back, massaging his hand.

"So, Worian, do you yield? . . . You don't have your sword, and you are injured." Deaother stated.

Worian stared at him in evident surprise, as did Vaelia and Kielle. Worian turned to Vaelia, who seemed disappointed, then he nodded.

"I yield, you have bested me, though I don't know how." Worian told him reluctantly. Deaother gave him a small smile, then stooped to pick up his sword, as Worian continued to massage his hand.

Vaelia walked up to Worian hurriedly and grabbed his injured hand in her own, looking at it tenderly.

"This doesn't look too good, you are alright aren't you?" Vaelia asked him, and Worian looked at her, surprised at her sudden concern for him.

"Nothing has happened to him, it's just a little ache." Deaother told Vaelia as he handed Worian his sword.

"Yes Vaelia, nothing has happened to me . . ." Worian said, taking his sword back and returning it to its sheath.

Vaelia nodded, though she seemed unconvinced, then she turned to Deaother.

"And you! You were holding back when you were sparring me, weren't you?" Vaelia asked him angrily, and Deaother gave her a small, but nervous laugh.

 _Looks like I have been caught._ Deaother thought to himself.

"Aye I was, I just wanted to surprise all of you . . . Now that you know my true strength, who wants to spar with me?" Deaother asked them.

Kielle began to say something, but Vaelia cut her off, "Me! I will spar you as long as I have to, and you better not hold back."

"I won't." Deaother told her. She nodded, then turned back to Worian. Deaother looked at her, then another thought turned him away.

 _Perhaps I should not have played along like this . . . I have only distanced her from myself._

"Shall I accompany you to your house?" Vaelia asked him sweetly, and Worian raised an eyebrow, after which he consented. Kielle nodded at Deaother and joined Worian and Vaelia as they walked away without a backward look.

Though Deaother didn't really care what Worian and Kielle felt about him, he was pained that Vaelia considered Worian more important than him. From what she had done for Worian, Deaother could only infer one thing.

 _She likes him a lot, that is why she is behaving like this with him, and also why she was so concerned when I just twisted his hand . ._. He concluded finally, and painfully.

He began to walk back to his own room, only one thought filling his mind.

 _I distanced her from myself . . ._


	12. Chapter 11

**_Chapter 11: On Journey_**

Eridor and Jiarha flew towards the southeast, speeding past small villages, towns and cities. Down below, people would look up in awe of the magnificent beings, but return to their work after the dragons had passed.

Ephian was sitting on Jiarha's back, watching the sky. It was noon, and nearly lunch time, and they were dozen of leagues south of Dras-leona. The next city that they would have to reach was Furnost, on the shores of Tüdosten Lake. But it was still several hours of flying ahead, though Jiarha was certain that they would reach the city by nightfall.

Now they flew on, and Ephian was discussing his feelings for Elva with Jiarha.

 _I don't know . . . I just feel close to her. More than friendship._ Ephian told her, as Jiarha finished shifting through his memories, feeling what he had felt at that time.

 _Ephian, I think you are attracted to her in more than just closeness. There are other women in this world as well, but only Elva caught your eye . . . I think that you love her._ Jiarha said, and Ephian jumped.

 _Don't be so hasty, Jiarha, think . . . I mean, look at in this way: I may love her, but does she love me?_

 _Maybe she does, you haven't noticed her reactions to you, nor has she noticed your reactions to her. It is possible that you both love each other._ Jiarha said wisely, and Ephian stroked her neck lovingly.

 _Even if you are right, I am not going to try and confess anything to her. I don't even know if I love her in the first place._ Ephian said, but his heart leapt at the fact that he would confess his feelings to Elva.

 _Why are you scared of her?_ Jiarha asked, laughing.

 _Because… Well, I am scared of the response she will give to my feelings for her. What if she replies in the negative?_

 _Ephian, you should stop being a pessimist. What if she does respond as you wish for her to?_ Jiarha asked him back.

 _Both outcomes are possible, and I'd rather not say anything at the moment. I'll try to get closer to her first, get to know her better._ Ephian said.

 _Not a bad idea, you can even understand her feelings that way. And she can understand yours._

 _But what if she doesn't feel anything for me? . . . She is so fair, so beautiful, and me? I am not that handsome or-_

 _Stop thinking so less of yourself, for one, my Rider is very handsome, and he is smart, talented and determined. Are you my Rider?_ Jiarha asked him, and he hugged his dragon's neck, convinced.

 _I am your Rider, no doubt about that!_

Elva scratched her chin thoughtfully as she saw Ephian hugging Jiarha for some reason. She had been spying on him for quite a while now, and he didn't seem that serious to her. He seemed to be enjoying himself with Jiarha.

 _He enjoys when he is with his loved ones . . ._ Eridor thought, and she nodded.

 _He does, and I wish that were his case with me as well._ Elva told her dragon, and sighed.

 _It will be, give him time._

 _How much time?_ Elva asked, and Eridor growled slowly.

 _As much as he needs, and you can get rid of your own confusion in that time._

 _Confusion . . . I don't know, Eridor, I want to be with him, but I am afraid that he doesn't want to be with me. So, well . . ._

Eridor hissed. _Look, you must not doubt yourself so much. He might like you as well. The only way to find out is to ask him!_

Elva looked around in horror as if Ephian could hear what they were discussing.

 _No way! I can't do that…_

 _Stop being so childish, you are more than a hundred years old Elva!_ Eridor said, grinning.

 _I am . . . but I have never been in this type of situations before. I have never exactly liked anyone the way I like Ephian._

 _Hmm . . . What about me?_ Eridor asked in an amused way.

 _Eridor, you are my dragon, I don't just like you, I love you. You are my family..._ Elva said, scratching her dragon on his neck. He hummed lightly at her words.

 _That is a good thing for me._ Eridor said thoughtfully.

They landed for lunch, on a hill taller than most of the surrounding ones. It had a few apple trees on it, thought the trees did not have fruits at this time of the year. Winter was nigh.

Elva was sitting, leaning against the tree, and was cross legged, while Ephian tended to the fire. The dragons growled at each other and took off, flying east to catch prey for them to eat.

 _I will be back in a couple of hours._ Jiarha told Ephian as he arranged the wood for the fire, and she flew with Eridor.

 _Have fun!_ Ephian told her calmly, and sighed to himself. He smiled at Elva as he stood up, and she smiled back, watching him.

"Istlari." Ephian muttered softly, and the wood caught fire, black in color. The fire was small, only to keep him and Elva warm in the cool weather, and to keep the wild animals away.

"Ephian, why are you so distracted?" Elva asked him as he settled down a little away from her, leaning against the same tree.

"I am not, do I seem to be?" Ephian asked her, and she nodded.

"You do, come now, you can tell me. I am your companion." Elva said, and Ephian turned to look at her more properly.

"Sure then . . . I am worried." Ephian told her, and she seemed to be confused at his words.

"Of what?"

"Of this mission of ours, I have a feeling that it has more to it than it seems . . . Elva, I want to tell you something, about Shades." Ephian said suddenly, and Elva raised an eyebrow.

"What's there to tell me? I know they are evil, I know that they must be killed on sight. What else do I need to know?" Elva asked him, and Ephian smiled gently. On the inside, he was getting mesmerized by her blue eyes, which seemed like the portals to a shallow ocean, illuminated by the morning sunlight.

"I-I . . . . It's like this: Shades know more about dark magic than any other beings. So, they know how to manipulate wild magic in evil ways. One of those ways is connecting two places which have wild magic permeating near them . . . I leant this from a book, I forgot the name, but it was pretty interesting. It was written by a human called Jeod Longshanks, one of the brightest humans in our history, other than General Orrin, who was brilliant in his own way." Ephian told her.

"But what has that got to do with our mission? You did hint that there would be Shade there, but . . ." Elva trailed off as she understood with a flash of recognition.

"See? If that Shade does exist a-and he can manipulate energy, then he can use his powers to join that 'well' with any other place . . . it can be anywhere in Alagaesia . . . or even outside." Ephian said, and Elva was dumbstruck. She sat and just watched him for a while, and Ephian stared back for a long time, until she broke the silence.

"Enough heavy talks about this mission of ours, we have both faced danger in our childhood, we can do so again . . . Tell me something about yourself, your habits, likes, dislikes, you know." Elva said, and Ephian stared at her for a while more, then crept close to her.

"What do you want to know?" Ephian asked and Elva blushed slightly.

Is it normal for women to blush if we ask them such things? Ephian thought to himself.

"If you want to tell me then . . . why are you always so serious, so secluded? There are many things that I have heard about you, from others . . . you never enjoy yourself with others; you keep yourself to yourself, why?" Elva asked him, and he could hear the eagerness in her melodic voice, because he always savored the time when he heard it.

Ephian was silent, staring at her impassively until she began to fidget.

It can't hurt if I tell her, I always wished I could confide in someone other than Jiarha… And Elva is going to be with me for quite some time… I'll just tell her why I am like this. Ephian decided.

He stood and walked away from the shade of the tree, the sunlight illuminating his face; he heaved a sigh before beginning to speak solemnly.

"Elva . . . I don't tell you this lightly, its because I trust you. There is a reason for me behaving this way . . . I am not the type of person who takes things lightly, I take it seriously. Maybe too seriously at times, that's what Jiarha told me. Why do I do this? Sometimes even I don't understand . . . I think its because I have had to kill men ever since I was young, and it changed me then . . . I felt guilty, because I knew those men had their own families, their own children. Some of those children could have been like me. But my father helped me work around it."

He turned to Elva, who stood up as well and walked up to him, empathy and understanding in her eyes.

"But then . . . my father was killed, I learnt of this from Eragon when he came to Dauth to save all its citizens . . . I had killed that day as well, to protect two little girls. They were like my own sisters, they never left my side and always managed to bring a smile to my face . . . I was fourteen then. I realized that day that logic was not at all applicable to murder, no matter the reason you put behind it. I knew then what it must have felt like for the children to lose their parents when I killed them . . . And it broke me. I was maimed, and my soul was tainted with blood of many." Ephian continued, and tears began to come to his eyes.

"Oh the suffering, it was worse than anything I have ever known . . . I felt like I didn't deserve to live after that. Just a couple of weeks after I learnt of my father's death, my mother also died, taken away by her disease and by her grief at my father's death. I was an orphan, at the age of fourteen, and it was a living death . . . But I remained, I wanted to know that Galbatorix had been punished for all of his crimes, and he was. I lived for about three years as a destroyed person, beyond hope of happiness." Ephian said sorrowfully, and tears did begin to roll down from his eyes. He settled on the ground, and wiped them.

A hand came to his shoulder, soft and delicate but hiding enormous power.

"I know what it felt like for you . . . I really do." Elva told him, and knelt beside him.

He turned around to see her, her eyes filled with compassion.

"H-How?" Ephian muttered, and Elva sighed.

"I have had my own fill of grief . . . When I was a baby, I was cursed by Eragon, unintentionally of course, he just trying to help me because that old hag who used to look after me asked him to bless me, and he didn't know the ancient language well enough then. He cursed me to be able to feel other's pain as my own, of everyone around me, and the curse also forced me to try and help them. When I became just a year old, I seemed to be about four times the age . . . the curse made me grow many times faster than normal so that I could help others. And if I didn't, I would suffer . . . Eragon tried to correct his mistake after most of his training was done, but even he couldn't undo the spell completely, and it always made me weaker than other children of my age. The pain that I endured at that tender age, it was unbelievable, I find it difficult to imagine it even now." Elva told him, rather somber. She settled down next to him, their shoulders brushed, but both of them didn't mind it that much.

"Then what happened?" Ephian asked her eagerly, and she smiled slightly.

"It was Eridor who cured me of it. When he hatched, Eragon was very happy. I was taught by Nasuada . . . Your mentor's wife. When we were learning, I was always downtrodden, sad and weak even though the spell had been partially reduced, and Eridor was very young. He was stubborn as well, and he didn't want to see me in pain of the others, because I didn't let the pain reach whenever I felt it. One night, I confessed each and every thing to him, and he was really troubled by it. It reached to such an extent that he used dragon magic on me, and I was healed of the curse, permanently I think." Elva said, her voice a little better. Ephian smiled at her, then his hand began to inch forward slowly, heading for her hand, which she had placed on the ground.

"Were you happy then?" Ephian asked, and Elva nodded.

"Happier than ever before . . ." Elva said, and Ephian grasped her hand in his own a little too quickly, gently squeezing her fingers. Elva seemed a little surprised at his approach, but then just gave him a quick smile.

"I just hope I can make myself as joyful as you . . . but after all that you have been through, no one deserves it more than you." Ephian told her, and she patted him on the cheek suddenly.

"You want to become joyful? First, drop your gloomy face and try to replace it with a smile." Elva instructed.

Ephian gaped at her, then gave her such a ridiculous smile that she began laughing. Her laughter washed over him, and he lost himself in its music. But then he gently let go of her hand and began fiddling with a stone, he didn't want to do something to endanger their friendship. He didn't want to give himself away and let Elva find out about his feelings for her.

 _I shouldn't have grasped her hand in the first place!_


	13. Chapter 12

**_Chapter 12: A Matter of choices  
_**

Eragon strode up the stairs of the huge castle in Kuasta, still contemplating what all had come up just some time ago. He couldn't believe that now he knew his entire family on the father's side. The family tree had been quite an astounding discovery, and an equally pleasing as well. Now Eragon new who his ancestors were, who he was related to.

 _Now that I know this all, I am happier to be who I am. But I wish I could meet the person who started the family tree and talk to him as well . . ._ Eragon thought. He had a longing in his heart to meet that person, meet all of his ancestors. But he knew that it wasn't possible, even in the Vault of Souls. He might want to meet them, but they probably didn't know him, in the void, nor did they wish to meet him.

 _And its fine anyway, I am happy with this . . . .The Festival of Kuthian is still seven months away, there is ample time._ Eragon thought.

As he walked down a long corridor adorned with paintings of the Riders, especially Eragon, he remembered how he had started his search for Heslant. Galbatorix had hinted that Heslant might have been in Tierm but the man was born in Kuasta. Eragon had then visited Kuasta for the first time, and had searched around a lot, but he had been pressed for time then as the Riders and dragons were still returning at a steady rate.

Then on, since Dregor had been situated in Kuasta, Eragon had given him the responsibility of looking for any sing of Heslant in the city. There were hardly any signs of him at all, but Dregor was quite a brilliant man. He even checked the Arcaena Order for Heslant, though that Order was rather powerful and demanded authority and respect. They were quite clever as well, and hid most of the information from Dregor. Dregor had done this just a few months ago, and then done it again and again, until he had found all traces and information of Heslant, and he had sent it to Eragon as the letter which he had been reading earlier.

Eragon walked down a passage which had a large window right ahead, candle brackets with lit candles on the walls and doors to several rooms. He walked straight and took the room to the right, and second from the last.

"Eragon, there you are." Arya said as Eragon entered their room. They were in the main castle of Kuasta, in one of the grand quarters. It had three rooms, one sitting room, one bed room, and one kitchen. Murtagh and Nasuada were in the room next door. Saphira and the other dragons were in the dragon hold.

"I am . . . I learned my entire family tree today. But that is not of importance right now, Laun knows where Heslant is, we must leave for Teirm as soon as possible." Eragon told her, noticing that she was in a white nightgown, and was sitting on the bed.

"Shall we leave tomorrow?" Arya asked him, and he nodded. He sat down next to her and pulled her into his embrace. Arya closed her eyes as Eragon stroked her hair gently, and contemplated what all he had learned that day.

"Heslant is related to me… He is my great uncle." Eragon said, and Arya opened her eyes in a little surprise.

"He is in Teirm? One of your family has survived . . . You are not the last of Brom's line then." Arya said, and Eragon grunted in reply.

"Even if that is true, Heslant is probably close to death now, he must have survived this long just to find me . . . Saphira?" Eragon muttered.

 _Yes! Illeria and Lenora arrived at the dragon hold just now. They say it's very urgent and they must speak to you._ Saphira seemed to be in a hurry alright.

 _We are coming._ Eragon told her, and stood up, Arya still in his embrace.

"Illeria and Lenora, the ones stationed at Beirland just came here, and they said that they must speak to us. They were your students, yes?" Eragon asked Arya.

"Aye, they were. Wonder what is so urgent . . . you go ahead, I'll change and come." Arya told him.

Eragon nodded, grabbed Brisingr, and walked out of the room. He smiled at Arya just before he closed the door.

 _Lenora . . . I still think I saw a face in that crystal._ Illeria said, shivering a bit in the cold. She was in the dragon hold in Kuasta, and had been pleased immensely when she heard that Eragon and the others were here. She and Lenora had felt that they would have to fly all the way to Doru Araeba, and had stopped at Kuasta for the night after traveling for two days.

 _I don't know, I wasn't looking at it. But don't think about that at them moment, it might have been your imagination._ Lenora told her, and wrapped Illeria in her wing. Saphira and Thorn were in front of them, along with Valinor and Draumr.

 _Young ones, what exactly is the matter?_ Valinor asked them, who had once been their mentor but now he was like a friend.

 _Ebrithil, you know those floating crystals in Eoam?_ Lenora asked him, and Valinor replied in the affirmative.

Illeria continued. _Well . . . they are generally of seven colors, those of the rainbow. But we saw another color along with the others. It was black-_

 _-And there were images-_

 _-Of people and the interior of-_

 _-A room or cave inside the-_

 _-Black crystals; that is why we have come-_

 _-to inform the Lead Rider-_

 _-because it might be important._ Illeria finished and stared at the great dragons in front of her, who seemed to be grinning.

Valinor looked at them, a little amused and bemused, then shook his head.

Thorn, Draumr and Saphira laughed in their stone grinding way, then the blue dragoness said, _One at a time, young ones, but wait till Eragon and Arya come, along with Murtagh and Nasuada._

Illeria blushed slightly, and Valinor laughed along with the others.

 _That was embarrassing, we should really control this._ Lenora muttered, and Illeria grinned.

 _That we should._

 _We will!_ Lenora told her confidently.

 _But that face which I saw in the crystal . . . it was horrible, truly horrible, that man had-_ Illeria began, and Lenora gave a frustrated growl.

 _Enough of that 'face', it might have been your imagination. Stop being so scared._ Lenora told her.

 _I am not scared, I am just uncomfortable because of what I saw. That's it . . ._

The door to the hold opened and Eragon came in. He had a worried expression on his face, and was wearing a violet tunic over black leggings. He walked up to them, and stood next to Saphira. They exchanged the elven greeting, and Illeria honored him by saying the third line and twisting her hand over her sternum. Eragon smiled at her.

"What has happened Illeria? Why are you here?" Eragon asked her.

 _I'll speak to him._ Illeria told Lenora.

 _Be my guest!_ Lenora replied.

"Ebrithil, you know of those floating crystals in Eoam?" Illeria asked Eragon, who nodded.

"Aye, its wild magic . . ." Eragon said, then held up a hand as Illeria began to continue explaining.

"We better wait until Arya, Murtagh and Nasuada come. I think both your mentors will want to learn of your adventures as well." Eragon said, turning to Valinor, who blinked.

They waited for a while more, during which Murtagh, Nasuada arrived, Arya entering a couple of minutes later.

Illeria greeted Arya happily, who seemed equally pleased at seeing her students. It took a couple of minutes for Eragon to turn the conversation back to the actual reason for Illeria and Lenora's visit.

"Ebrithil, those crystals, they are supposed to be only in the colours of a rainbow . . . but now, another color is predominant there. Black. I don't know how it came to be, but it has. The color has taken away most of the largest orbs . . . I saw men, the interiors of a cave in it. And just before I and Lenora left, we-"

 _Ebrithil, I think she imagined this, I am not so sure._ Lenora cut in, and Illeria threw her an irritated look.

"Point is, I saw a face inside, it was foul, horrible and twisted!" Illeria told Eragon, who seemed a little perturbed by the news.

"Ebrithil, you must come to investigate this as soon as possible, I do not know how all this has happened, but it has . . . Please?" Illeria continued, and Eragon crossed his arms.

 _What was the need to tell him that?_ Illeria asked Lenora crossly, her eyebrows raised to such a point that they formed a rather formidable 'V' as she glared at her dragon. It wasn't a good thing to get embarrassed in front of the Lead Rider.

 _You are blabbering nonsense, Illeria. It is impossible that you could have seen a face in there!_ Lenora answered with a similarly annoyed voice. Illeria threw her an even angrier look, while the other people grouped up a little away and began discussing something.

 _I am sure I saw a face there, and you should know better than to contradict your own Rider!_ Illeria told her fiercely. Her retort seemed to suddenly abate the anger in her dragon, to be replaced by guilt at first, then a little sadness. She had probably not expected Illeria to react like this.

 _I…was just trying to keep you from looking like a fool, Illeria._ Lenora told her, and Illeria could feel that Lenora had been hurt by what Illeria had said to her. She had always been rather soft when it came to Illeria, and they loved each other a lot. Lenora loved Illeria so much that she would be downtrodden if Illeria would yell at her, and be enraged if anyone insulted her Rider, however mild the insult was.

 _I thank you for that . . . I am sorry I shouted at you, I shouldn't have._ Illeria told her as Eragon continued discussing something with Arya, Murtagh, Nasuada and their dragons as well.

"But we have to find Heslant, he could die at any moment . . . He might already be dead for all we know." Eragon told them, annoyed.

 _We don't know, Eragon, and that's the problem._ Saphira said.

"Listen here, what Illeria has brought us seems important . . . I think we should go to Beirland, then veer towards Teirm from there. What say you all?" Arya asked them.

Murtagh and Nasuada agreed, but Eragon was uncertain. He looked at them all for a while, his face showing that he was contemplating something, then dipped his head, thinking deeply.

Arya bit back a frustrated oath.

 _Calm down Arya, he has been looking for this Heslant for a century, and now he knows where the man is. It would be a waste for him to be diverted now, don't you think?_ Valinor asked.

Arya did her best not to turn to her dragon with an annoyed look.

 _He has already done enough in this century, why can't he listen to me for a change?_ She asked Valinor.

 _Stop being so agitated, he knows more on this issue than either of us._ Valinor retorted angrily.

Arya was about counter him when she felt Eragon in his mind. Arya studied his mind, and could feel confusion in him, as well as trust and love for Arya. Arya knew what he was going to say before he said it.

 _Arya . . . I think I have disobeyed you enough in these past decades. I'll follow your lead in this, is that fine?_ Eragon asked her. Arya was astounded at his decision. It wasn't like him to completely give up his authority to Arya in a decision, even he would gladly do it at any time. He knew his priorities well enough to not do that.

 _Why is that, Eragon?_

 _Because . . . well, I love you, and I don't want to be unfaithful to you anymore. I have had enough of leading for a while, this decision is up to you. I trust your instincts more than mine._ Eragon told her, though his voice was pleasant, Arya could tell that he was a little sad about something.

 _Eragon, don't regret anything that you have done . . . . But I choose to go where Illeria was posted. We will go to Beirland._ Arya told him, and Eragon nodded physically and mentally.

"We shall go to Eoam." Eragon told them all.


	14. Chapter 13

**_Chapter 13: The Commencing Competition and Arrival at the Capital_**

 _This is crazy!_ Deaother thought as he watched Vaelia standing in the sparring field, and a large crowd of elves was assembled around them to watch the sparring competition.

"Welcome, one and all." Vaelia said. The number of spectators had increased admirably when the news that the Lead Rider's son was going to be participating had spread. The numbers had only been increased when they had also learnt that their King was also a participant.

 _She is quite furious . . . All my fault, of course._ Deaother concluded, and dipped his head slowly. Vaelia wasn't even looking at him.

"We are all gathered here today for this competition of sparring . . . This competition, as most of you may know, is being held every year on the same day, to celebrate the coming of winter. Today, all the participants, me included, shall prove their skill, strength and talent. Each match has only one round. This time, the judges will be Lord Fiolr of Ellesmera, and Lady Enaevia of Osilon." Vaelia said, and the elves applauded as the judges stepped into the view.

Deaother stood to the side of the field, along with King Dathedr. He had been a little perturbed with his feelings for Vaelia for the past two days, during which he had defeated Vaelia effortlessly. Now, he had just distanced himself from her all the more, and the previous day she had glared at him so furiously when he had bested her in just two minutes, he had been frightened for the first time in his life.

Now, she wasn't talking to him and he had not even tried to apologize to her but he was a little anxious, and had almost decided to ask her for forgiveness.

Vaelia continued talking for a while more, but Deaother only caught a couple of lines because he was devising the best way he in which he could apologize to her. It was a very precarious experience for him, for he had never exactly apologized to a woman before. As he was thinking, he heard Vaelia speaking about the way of the competition.

". . . This competition is held for three days, on the first day, that is today, we will have the preliminaries, tomorrow: the semi finals and on the day after tomorrow, the finals. There are a total of eight participants here, namely Worian," Vaelia said, and Worian stood up and came to her.

 _She said his name first . . ._ Deaother noted sadly, then he berated himself for being childish.

"Kielle, Vanir, King Dathedr, Blodhgarm, Rider Everaun, myself and Deaother."

 _She said my name last!_ Deaother thought even more sadly, and didn't berate himself this time. Instead, he walked towards the other participants with a pleasant smile on his face to cover up his feelings.

But his smile faltered somewhat when Lady Enaevia threw him a look of pure hatred for some reason he couldn't understand. But his curiosity at her behavior and his smile vanished completely when Vaelia glared at him and turned away.

 _Oh . . . This is not at all good!_ Deaother observed, then pursed his lips tightly.

There was applause again, and Lord Fiolr invoked a spell that created a light blue colored line around the sparring field, it hovered in the air, marking the area within which the opponents would spar.

Lady Enaevia stood up, a parchment in her hand, and said, "Here are the order of the pairs that shall be sparing . . . The first match will be between Vanir and Worian. The second between Vaelia and Kielle. Third between Dathedr and Everaun, and fourth between Blodhgarm and Deaother . . . The first match shall begin now."

Cheers followed as Vanir entered the sparring area, smiling at his son, Worian.

Deaother looked at them in a little surprise. If _he_ would have been asked to spar his own father, he would have been very anxious and nervous because he had managed to defeat Eragon only twice in all the times that they had sparred, and that too by trickery. But Worian seemed quite confident against Vanir.

"So, my son, fortune has smiled upon you. You have another chance to prove yourself in my eyes . . ." Vanir said, drawing his sword.

"I won't disappoint you, father." Worian promised, and imitated Vanir.

All the other participants retreated away from the clearing, and Deaother began to hurry towards Vaelia, who was looking intently at Worian as he and Vanir circled each other.

"Vaelia, I must speak to you." Deaother said when he reached her. She jumped slightly, then turned around; her face showed a little surprise before it was replaced by an annoyed look, then an impassive expression.

"About what?" Vaelia asked, and Deaother noted a little bitterness in her voice. Soon, they could hear the clashing of swords, and Vaelia looked to the side and smiled at Worian.

 _I have not done anything that . . . bad, so why is she so angry?_ Deaother thought, then discarded the feeling.

"I wanted to apologize for . . . being a fool. I should not have toyed with you while sparring, I am sorry. But I thought that if I defeated you in the first match itself, then you and your friends would have distanced yourself from me . . . you already are, and I didn't want that to happen, so I let you win." Deaother told her, and she turned to him with a frustrated look.

"So you apologize for that, now? It's a fine way, I tell you, truly fine." Vaelia said and returned her attention to Worian, who parried Vanir's blow.

"Vaelia, was that such a bad thing that I did?" Deaother continued, and Vaelia closed her eyes in an annoyed way, then opened them and gave him a charming but sarcastic smile.

"No, it wasn't. But I did not like it in the least, because you were hiding what you truly were from me, none of us do that, so from the beginning itself you proved that you were different . . ." Vaelia said. Deaother gaped at her, then nodded slowly, swallowing his reply. He began to turn and walk away when Vaelia called him again.

"I forgive you, Deaother, but just don't repeat it. If you want to get better in my eyes, then prove your worth today." Vaelia told him, and he noted that her face and eyes were soft now, and she had a real smile on her face, which reached up to her eyes.

"I will . . . I promise." Deaother said, and came back to her side. They stood there and watched as Worian and Vanir continued to fight.

"Elva, what's wrong?" Ephian asked concernedly as Elva twisted and writhed around in her sleep. They were in the Haradac desert, and were halfway through it, heading for the Beor Mountains. The dragons were off hunting, and Ephian was awake, but Elva was asleep. Ephian and Jiarha always woke up early to find Elva and Eridor asleep, and Elva was usually the last to wake up among them.

But now, Elva was having a nightmare of sorts, one that was frightening her immensely. Ephian knelt next to her, and watched anxiously as tears began to flow out of her closed eyes and sweat beaded her beautiful face.

 _Swords flashed in the hands of many people around her. She was next to Ephian, and they were both wearing armor, and both had their swords drawn._

 _Their surroundings were dark, except for a circular hole in the ground, which was filled with a peculiar liquid. Light emanated from that hole, and it illuminated the men ahead of her, their bright armor glistening._

 _"So, Riders, you are here to kill us are you?" One man asked, and she felt fear grow in herself. The man was horrible, with shaggy and tangled black hair that reached up to his shoulder, gray skin which seemed diseased and infected. He was thin, wearing black armor, and had a bright sword in his hand._

 _"Yes, we are, and we will slay you all. Alagaesia will remain safe!" Ephian shouted at him, and the man smirked._

 _"What confidence, for one so weak . . . You shall suffer for that." He said, then turned to the other men and shouted, "Get back, you warts. I will handle them." He grinned at Ephian, who held his sword tightly._

 _"Get back Elva." Ephian told her, but she didn't listen._

 _"I won't, Ephian, I am your companion, and I am here to help you." Elva argued._

 _"Now, Elva!" Ephian said and looked at her so angrily, she moved back on instinct._

 _Ephian turned to the man, then began chanting under his breath._

 _"Foolish human, you think you can fight me?" The man yelled and charged forwards with lightning speed, but Ephian sidestepped him and slashed at the man's chest faster than any human. Elva gaped at him._

 _He parried the blow and attacked Ephian in return._

 _But suddenly, there was a noise next to Elva, who turned and saw to her surprise that there was another, bearded man next to her, who had a rather foul look on his face and a sword in his hand._

 _"Die!" He roared and tried to slash at her head, but he fell to the ground with his head loped off. Elva had killed him faster than an eye could see._

 _She made to turn to the side when two pairs of hands grabbed her suddenly, from behind and pulled her back. She screamed, "Ephian!" and tried to free herself but the hands holding her were too strong._

 _Somewhere from the right there was a shout, "Elva!", and was followed by a yell of pain from the same voice._

 _"Ephian! No!" Elva shrieked and started to wildly swing her hands around to free herself._

 _At that instant, the walls above them were blasted apart and two dragons, light blue and night black in color, roared, followed by a curse from the shaggy haired man, "Befouled abominations! Boys, throw that girl into the pool!"_

 _Elva struggled again, and a light blue dragon dived towards her hurriedly, but the men were too strong. Ephian yelled in pain, and his blood splattered the ground. The men picked Elva up, and she tried but failed to kick them off, and they threw her at the hole in the ground._

 _"EPHIAN! ERIDOR!" Elva shrieked, but none of them could help her. She fell into the pool with a splash of the freezing, ice cold liquid, and everything went black._

Elva woke up and saw Ephian kneeling next to her, a worried look on his face. She gulped slightly, and stared into his deep, caring eyes. He was really worried for her, his face and eyes proved it. A bit of her fear wormed away from her, though she was still shivering.

"Are you alright? You seem to be really shaken." Ephian told her after a moment, and Elva felt warm just to hear him speak. But his voice had more effect on her than just that.

Without thinking, Eva suddenly reached up and hugged him tightly, her body trembling. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ephian's ear go bright red, but she didn't care. She was afraid of losing him, and the feelings she had for him just aggravated the situation.

"E-Elva, what is wrong? Had a bad dream?" Ephian asked after a couple of minutes of silence. Heat began to flush Elva's cheeks and ears, but she remained in his embrace.

"Hairy men... Pool... Swords... Dragons... Me... thrown... pool..." Elva stuttered up, sounding petrified.

"Slow down!" Ephian cried. "Slow down, Elva. You are safe now, just slow down and tell me what you dreamt."

Elva took a few deep breaths. Her frightened eyes met Ephian's soothing ones and she felt her racing heart slow a bit.

"…I am scared by what I saw in there, Ephian." Elva said, hugging him even more tightly, lying her head near his neck, and he in turn wrapped an arm around her quaking shoulders. They remained like that for some more time until Elva stopped shivering.

"Calm down and tell me what you saw." Ephian told her, and wrapped his other arm around her waist and held her more securely. Elva felt very safe in his arms, and warm as well. Her fear began receding gradually as happiness for being where she was began coming to her.

"I-I saw a dark place . . . we were both inside it, and there was some sort of a pool in the ground. Light was coming from it. And we were surrounded by men, and one of them began attacking you, and you were fighting back . . . I don't now what happened I can't remember properly, but the last thing I saw was me being thrown into that pool, then I woke up . . . Does that make sense?" Elva asked him, and he patted her shoulder.

"Not any that I can make out, but don't worry too much about it, it was just a dream." Ephian told her.

"But it felt so real . . . It felt as if I was living it in true life . . . it was so scary!" Elva stated, and Ephian let go of her slowly.

"Don't dwell on it too much, okay?" Ephian asked her, and she gave him a small but sad smile.

"Yes sir!" Elva said croakily, much to Ephian's amusement.

"Dead . . ." Dathedr said with a small smile, his sword over Everaun's chest, who had fallen to the ground and his sword was lying several yards away. The silver cloak rippled, hanging from the King's shoulders.

"Here." Dathedr muttered and held out his hand, which Everaun grasped, and Dathedr pulled him to his feet.

"It was an honor to spar with you, my King." Everaun said, and twisted his hand over his sternum and bowed, making the elvish gesture of respect and fealty.

"You were a worthy opponent, Everaun-vodhr." Dathedr told him, and the Rider smiled.

Now, it was Deaother's turn to spar against Blodhgarm, an elf whom he had met several times in his childhood. He and Eragon were good friends, but Deaother had found him rather peculiar with his fur and claw-like hands.

"So, Everaun has lost to our King Dathedr, but it was a valiant attempt, good Rider. We come to the last match in the preliminaries; tis' between Blodhgarm of Ceris and Deaother of Doru Araeba." Lord Fiolr said, and the elves applauded, some of them cheered.

Deaother was standing next to Vaelia, Worian and Kielle. Worian had defeated Vanir, something that surprised Deaother, and had been promoted to the semi finals. Vaelia had also prevailed, and had defeated Kielle. Now, Kielle was not in her best mood, and the three of them were trying to console her until Deaother's name was announced.

"All the best." Worian said, and Deaother nodded in thanks.

"Be careful, Deaother, Blodhgarm has won this tournament thrice consecutively. He is the defending champion, and he is going to be quite difficult for you." Vaelia told him, and Deaother grinned.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, he and I have sparred a couple of times, though that was years ago. But I am confident, I can beat him." Deaother said and began walking towards the sparring fields.

Blodhgarm was standing there, a small smile on his face. He was much the same as before, but right now he was wearing proper leggings instead of his usual loincloth, though his chest was bare.

"It's been some time, Blodhgarm-elda." Deaother said after exchanging the elven greeting.

"It has, and you have changed from a rash young child to a brave warrior, just like your father. Let us see how much you have improved from last time . . . And if I can make you bolt on your hands again." Blodhgarm said. He and Deaother laughed.

The first time Deaother had sparred Blodhgarm, he had been disarmed in a couple of minutes, but Deaother had flipped back and ended up on his hands. He had walked on his hands for several yards until Blodhgarm had grabbed his leg, hoisted him up and placed the sword on his neck.

"I hopefully won't lose my sword this time." Deaother said as he began blocking the edge of his blade, imitating Blodhgarm.

"We shall see, Deaother-finiarel." Blodhgarm replied.

They both got into their stances, where Blodhgarm was holding his silver and curved sword, which Deaother recognized as a falchion, in his left hand, and his right was stretched to the side. The sword's hilt was rather long, and had a ruby embedded in the center of the cross guard. Deaother half crouched and held his own hand-and-half sword with both his hands, tip pointing towards the skies.

 _This might be harder than I thought . . ._ Deaother observed.

They stood still, waiting for the other to strike. Minutes passed, and both remained like statues, their muscles tensed. Deaother finally lost his patience and charged forwards as fast as he could, his body blurring in front of the elves, who were surprised. Deaother swung his sword straight at Blodhgarm's chest, but the elf flipped back, dodging the sword.

He ended up on his feet and began a flurry of complicated attacks which Deaother didn't bother identifying. He just blocked each and every one of them, sparks flying from both their swords. He couldn't tell how many attacks he blocked, nor could he remember which all directions they came from. He just reacted on his own instincts and blocked them.

Blodhgarm tried to trip Deaother when his sword was parried to the right, but Deaother jumped to the side and vaulted, covering several yards in some heartbeats. Blodhgarm whirled to his feet and chased after Deaother, who charged forwards. Both of them converged upon each other, and their swords met in a shower of golden sparks as Deaother parried Blodhgarm's jab.

Deaother took the opening to his advantage and hurriedly kicked Blodhgarm on the shin. The furred elf grunted in pain and tried to step away, but Deaother was too quick. He slashed at Blodhgarm's shoulder, and Blodhgarm groaned. Deaother ducked as Blodhgarm sliced at his neck, then he flipped back, distancing himself from Deaother.

Deaother looked up in frustration, but Blodhgarm seemed impressed.

"You have improved a lot, but I still don't see anything special in you." Blodhgarm stated.

Deaother spotted Vaelia watching him from behind Blodhgarm, and to him it seemed that she was watching him more earnestly than she had watched Worian, something which pleased and encouraged him a lot.

"You want to see something special, then I won't dissatisfy you, Blodhgarm-elda." Deaother said with a smile.

Blodhgarm nodded, and crouched, holding sword diagonally. Deaother stood straight and held his sword to his side, tip pointing towards the ground. Blodhgarm gazed at Deaother's stance, then charged, his face strained with concentration and obvious strength, and stabbed straight at Deaother's chest. Deaother stood still, waiting for the blow to come near enough, then he bent backwards as fast as he could; the world became upside down to his eyes, and he saw King Dathedr's surprised face. He bent to such an extent that he could see the grass just a foot away from his own feet.

 _Rimgar has its advantages . . ._

Blodhgarm's sword passed over him, and the elves gave startled exclamations, but Deaother didn't just remain like that. He hurriedly placed his left hand on the ground and somersaulted backwards, Blodhgarm's sword missing his left thigh by an inch. He ended up on his feet, and just a yard away from the boundary line. Blodhgarm nodded, impressed, and the elves clapped and cheered, but he couldn't hear Vaelia for some reason.

 _I am probably not as important as Worian to her . . . Too bad._ Deaother thought to himself, a little disappointed.

Deaother returned to the present just in time, and he blocked a blow that would have knocked the wind out of him. Their swords became interlocked between them as the furred elf twirled his own sword down; Blodhgarm smiled and pushed his sword forwards, intending to throw Deaother out of the sparring area.

 _Blast it!_ Deaother thought, a habit he had got from Eragon. He held on against the push, then began to move forwards, inch by inch, pushing Blodhgarm back instead. The furred elf looked up in astonishment of Deaother's strength, then tried harder.

 _He is strong . . . bah, I will just let him push, for a second._ Deaother thought and loosed himself a bit. He began sliding back, and Blodhgarm began panting, then Deaother kicked the ground as hard as he could and jumped to the side. This resulted in Blodhgarm plummeting forwards, and landing outside the boundary line on all fours, and Deaother falling to the side, on all fours himself, but inside the boundary line.

There was silence for a while as the elves looked at the outcome, then applause and cheers broke out once more. Deaother got up, as did Blodhgarm, and smiled at Vaelia, who smiled back.

 _Well . . . looks like I have proven myself in her eyes._

A hand came to his shoulder suddenly, and he looked around to see Blodhgarm, who was half laughing.

"You have truly improved beyond recognition, Deaother. Your father must be very proud of you." Blodhgarm said, and he did seem awed.

"My thanks, Blodhgarm-elda." Deaother said, and Blodhgarm patted him on the back once more, then walked away.

Deaother turned to Lord Fiolr, who staring at a parchment in his hands..

"So, this match was won by Deaother, son of Eragon Kingslayer, and he has qualified to the semi finals, after defeating the previous victor, Blodhgarm . . . . My friends, let me once more say the names of the qualifying participants. Worian, Princess Vaelia, King Dathedr, and Deaother." Lord Fiolr said, and took his seat once more.

 _Elva, that is Farthen Dur, isn't it?_ Eridor asked, and Elva looked up. The two of them along with Ephian and Jiarha had been traveling for two days continuously, and they had finally arrived at the dwarven capital.

It is, follow Jiarha! Elva told him, and Eridor dived after the black dragon as she went towards the gate at the base of the mountain. They could hear a waterfall thundering the ground loudly, and saw that the gates were wide open, and dwarves were walking in and out of it, going about their business. Some were bringing in logs of wood, others were bringing in livestock, while children ran about, yelling and laughing in mirth. But all of them stopped as they felt the wind beat against them, making their hair and beards ripple and their hats fly off. Some of them dropped what they were carrying in surprise, and all of them stared at the brilliantly glittering dragon in awe.

 _Looks like they are surprised we are here, don't you think?_ Eridor said, and Elva grinned.

Ephian jumped down from Jiarha, and said, "We are dragon Riders, here on a mission from the Elder Rider Nasuada. We must meet the king, and the-"

He was interrupted by a loud roar as a brown dragon appeared to east. It was a female dragon named Gedwëy, and her Rider Trellony. She was a human.

 _Who in Alagaesia are those two?_ Eridor asked.

 _The dragon and Rider stationed here._ Elva replied.

The dragon gently landed next to Eridor and grinned, which Eridor returned. Smoke erupted from Jiarha's snout.

"Ephian, you have arrived in good time." Trellony said as she dismounted and walked to Ephian.

Elva also dismounted and began walking towards the pair, though she knew Trellony, the woman did not know Elva. Trellony was quite tall, pretty, blond haired, had green eyes and was very enthusiastic. Her dragon behaved just like her Rider at times.

"Aye, Trellony we. . ." Ephian began, but trailed off as Trellony hugged him tightly. Elva felt a twinge of irritation and annoyance, and she gave a small cough to hide it.

"King Orik has been expecting you, my friend." Trellony said, and let go of Ephian who gave her an awkward smile.

"Trellony, this is Elva, she is my companion for the mission." Ephian said, and Elva nodded at Trellony, who nodded back.

"Shall we then?" Trellony asked, turning away from Elva almost immediately, a fact that annoyed her even more, though she didn't speak to Trellony. Something about that woman made Elva dislike her a lot, almost immediately.

They walked inside the gate, striding off into the darkness.

Ephian, Elva and Trellony had reached Tronjheim, and were currently walking towards the throne room, their dragons behind them.

They reached the great granite doors, a seven-pointed crown carved across both doors. They entered, and walked across the natural cave, which was the throne room. On its other side stood Orik, his gray beard reaching up to his knees. He was wearing great golden robes under a purple cloak, he had rings of different gemstones on each of his fingers, and a great necklace.

"Welcome to Tronjheim. I trust your journey was fine?" Orik asked them after they had greeted him. A hammer was fastened to his left hip, and next to it was a horn. A grand crown was on his head.

"It was . . . enjoyable." Ephian told him, something which Elva noted and smiled at.

 _Maybe he is fond of me? What do you think?_ Elva muttered to Eridor.

 _Elva, I can't say . . . But you are probably right. Anyway, Jiarha is quite beautiful, isn't she? Look at her scales . . ._ Eridor told her, but caught himself and gave a nervous growl. Elva grinned, she felt elated at her dragon's sudden feelings for Jiarha. He usally hid them from her.

"Sire, we are here to investigate Mani's caves. We have learned from Trellony and Gedwëy that the rebel magicians are there, so we are heading for Galfni as soon as possible. We are planning to leave tomorrow." Ephian told him, and Orik nodded.

"Fine, but while you are here, you may stay at the highest floor, along with Trellony and Gedwëy. Rest today, Riders and dragons, no one shall trouble you." Orik stated, and dismissed them with a nod.


	15. Chapter 14

**_Chapter 14: Flight to the Land during Competition_**

"The second day of our competition begins, fellow elves." Lord Fiolr said. He was standing at the judges table, and was addressing all the gathered elves. This was the second day of the competition, and this time there were only four competitors: Deaother, Dathedr, Vaelia and Worian.

"Today, the order of the pairs is: First, Deaother and Dathedr shall cross blades." Fiolr said with a smile, which Dathedr and Deaother returned. The crowd also seemed pleased at the oncoming match, their King against the son of the Lead Rider.

Deaother was standing next to Worian, Kielle and Vaelia, and all three of them gaped at his reaction. He was smiling at the fact that he was going to spar the elven king. Vaelia walked up to him and he turned to her, grinning slightly.

"Deaother . . . Try your best. I don't know who can win this, but I hope you will. I wish to spar with you one more time, and beat you as well, in the finals." Vaelia said, laughing.

"Sure, I will try my best, but he is your father, wouldn't you support him, and spar with him rather than me?" Deaother asked.

"I have done that many times, but you . . . you have outwitted me rather effortlessly, I wish to give you a tough competition."

Deaother nodded, but Worian said in a little peculiar voice, "That is if you win against me, Vaelia."

"Perhaps…" Vaelia muttered, and Deaother noticed that her cheeks went slightly pink, but he didn't think anyone else had noticed it. His vision was better than that of the other elves as well, thanks to his genes.

"And the next will be, of course, Worian and Princess Vaelia . . . . My King Dathedr, and Deaother Eragonsson, please come forward." Fiolr finished.

"All the best Deaother." Worian and Kielle muttered.

Deaother walked to the centre of the sparring area, bound within the glowing boundary line. Ahead of him, Dathedr stood, wearing a golden cloak over glistening white robes, but he wasn't wearing his crown. His countenance itself betrayed great power, but Deaother wasn't intimidated. He reached the elven king and returned the king's smile.

"It is an honor to have the opportunity to cross blades with you, King Dathedr." Deaother said, smiling.

"Likewise, Deaother . . . This is going to be quite a tough match, I better be at my best." Dathedr said, then slowly unfastened his cloak and let it fall to the ground. His white robes seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.

A few elves gasped. Dathedr had not removed his cloak while sparring Everaun, and still he had won against the Rider. If he was being at his best, then Deaother was a tough opponent for him indeed.

"Shall we then?" Dathedr asked and drew his sword. Deaother did the same, and they both blocked the edges.

Deaother stood straight and began stepping to the right, while Dathedr began stepping to the left, they both began circling each other. Their eyes bored into their opponent's, trying to notice when the other was going to attack. Deaother kept his patience in check and didn't charge like last time, but remained in the same position.

The elves and the judges watched in silence, even Phiole didn't seem to be breathing.

Then suddenly, Dathedr leapt forwards, and vaulted over Deaother, landing behind him. Knowing what was coming, Deaother rolled forwards and sprang to his feet, then turned about and charged. Dathedr was standing some yards away from Deaother, his sword placed where Deaother's neck had been less than a second ago. Had Deaother not rolled, he would have lost the match then and there.

"Very good, Deaother-finiarel." Dathedr praised as Deaother swung at his hip. Dathedr parried the blow easily and smacked Deaother's elbow with the hilt of his sword. Deaother swallowed a groan of discomfort and blocked a blow Dathedr sent at his belly. Sparks flew from their swords, and Deaother knocked Dathedr's sword aside, then began attacking as hard as he could. He swung left, but the blow was blocked, so he jabbed straight, but the blow was parried.

Deaother cursed mentally as he was clouted on the shoulder, Dathedr began battering him with flurries of blows, banging Deaother's sword from side to side. Deaother hurriedly began to step back, and after about a dozen blows he ducked under another swing instead of blocking or parrying it. Then he dived to the side, and flipped, ending up yards behind Dathedr.

"Come on, Deaother!" Vaelia shouted from somewhere, and it took all of Deaother's self control to not turn to her and smile. Instead, he let her voice bolster his courage and determination.

 _I have to win this, I have to win this . . . Then I can defeat Vaelia as well tomorrow._ Deaother thought, then sprinted forwards before Dathedr could begin to move towards him.

Deaother stabbed straight at Dathedr's chest, but the King knocked Deaother's sword upwards. Then, Dathedr jabbed forward, but his sword was smacked down abruptly by Deaother, who swung his sword down.

 _I can do this! I must do this for Vaelia!_ Deaother thought.

He pounced forwards again, and sliced at Dathedr's sword. There was a clang and a shower of sparks as the swords met and bounced back. They didn't get any dents on them, as they were both elven blades, but the sound was indeed formidable. Some of the elves jumped at the noise.

 _I can't go on like this, I need a strategy against him._ Deaother thought as he parried Dathedr's blow. Sweat greased both their foreheads.

Deaother thrust his sword forward again, and had it knocked aside easily. Frustrated, he began slashing, swinging, jabbing and blocking. All of his attacks were useless against the king, but he couldn't understand why.

 _He has experience of centuries in this . . .Blast!_ Deaother swore as he got hit on his hip. He hurriedly retreated several paces from Dathedr and they stood in their positions, both of them were panting slightly.

"Very…well. You are really gifted in this Deaother, much like your father." Dathedr told him.

Deaother nodded, "Thank you, your majesty."

Dathedr smiled, then charged forwards, and Deaother parried the blow just in time. Then he slashed at the king's left thigh, doing whatever came to his mind and not using any particular combo he had learned from Eragon or Arya or Murtagh.

Dathedr lost his balance slightly, and groaned as Deaother struck his knee. Deaother sliced up and rapped the king's left shoulder, making Dathedr jump to the side. Deaother could tell that the king was surprised by his sudden change of style.

He spotted Vaelia walking away from the field at that moment. Deaother turned curiously, almost forgetting about Dathedr, then he realized that Vaelia and Kielle were walking away a little, and Kielle was telling Vaelia something. Worian was watching them with a curious look. Deaother's lack of attention caused him to get rapped on the shoulder.

 _Oh, blast!_ Deaother thought as he ducked under Dathedr's sword, and jumped back.

Deaother charged once more, and his sword was pushed aside by Dathedr's. Beginning to get enraged, Deaother slashed Dathedr's sword and this time as hard as he could. The muscles on his right hand bulged, his entire body tensed, especially his legs. A vein appeared on his forehead, sweat rolled down his neck. His sword almost became invisible with the force and speed of his swing, and many elves were wide eyed in surprise.

With a colossal clang Dathedr's sword flew out of his hand and went spinning out of the boundary line. Deaother gaped at his success, then he nicked his sword up at the king's neck, resting it on the king's shoulder. There was silence in the clearing, and the elves were truly astonished at Deaother's success, it could be seen on their usually impassive faces.

"Dead . . ." Deaother muttered, and Dathedr stared at his sword for half a minute with his eyebrows raised, then he let out a pleasant laugh.

"Ah, very, very good Deaother-vodhr. I had not expected you to change your style so suddenly. You are a remarkably skilled swordsman, better than almost everyone among the elves. Excellent, Eragonsson, simply excellent." Dathedr told him, and Deaother smiled widely.

"Thank you very much, King Dathedr." Deaother replied.

 _They are still after us!_ Anurin thought.

They had been flying hard for over a day now, but the Lethrblaka were still on their tail, and were gradually coming closer. They were quite fast; they weren't as heavy as dragons, so they could fly much faster. It didn't help that there was a steady southward wind, which only made those creatures come faster, but also increased Garjzla's speed along with it.

 _Don't fret! We can still reach Alagaesia in time to save ourselves . . ._ Garjzla muttered, and Anurin agreed. Even after a thousand years, he found it quite surprising when Garjzla pointed out the obvious logic of a situation that escaped him.

 _That is what I have always told you, Anurin, a dragon is wiser than any other being._ Garjzla said smugly, and Anurin laughed in spite of himself.

 _And this is what I have always told you: I am glad they are wise._ Anurin replied, and Garjzla growled.

Anurin looked down again, and observed the taller and older pines of the forest. They were getting closer now, and he knew they would reach Alagaesia very soon.

 _How long till we reach it?_ Anurin asked, and Garjzla began calculating in his mind.

 _Maybe a day. We will reach the northernmost side of Alagaesia tomorrow._

 _That is good . . . But that might be too late if those Lethrblaka don't stop tonight._ Anurin said, and he could feel his dragon's aches and weariness.

Do not worry, I can keep this up as long as required. Garjzla said, and Anurin began to funnel energy into him, but the dragon stopped him hurriedly.

 _No, Anurin. Not now . . . I know you don't want to see me suffer, but save it for when I am more exhausted. I know we can't avoid using it, but it itches my scales with reluctance._ Garjzla said.

Anurin sighed, then pulled out his bow, nocked an arrow and aimed carefully at the Lethrblaka.

 _At least I can slow them down._ Anurin thought, and Garjzla agreed. Anurin knew what to do, but a simple arrow would not suffice for all the Lethrblaka. He had to use magic, and strong magic as well.

"Gath sem oro un datia!" Anurin muttered, and some of his energy left him as the spell took its toll. Then he loosed the arrow, and watched as it sped straight towards the leathery creatures. As it was a dozen yards from them, Anurin had an idea.

Focusing on the arrow, he muttered, "Nángoröth!"

The arrow blasted, sending a huge wave of mist in all directions and making the Lethrblaka lose their balance and fall, engulfed in the cloud. They had lost sight of Garjzla and Anurin completely as they had lost their sense of direction and they did not know how far this cloud went.

 _That worked . . . I just hope it was enough, and that we can get help as soon as possible._ Anurin thought.

 _Just one day more, my good Rider, just one day more._ Garjzla assured him.

"This match was one of the best fights I have seen, and it has only been matched by a few; it was an incredible but short clash. Impressively, King Dathedr has lost to Deaother . . . and he has been promoted to the Finals. Now, we have the next participants. Worian and Vaelia!" Lord Fiolr said.

"That was magnificent Deaother! Astounding! You defeated my father…" Vaelia said happily, and Deaother smiled at her. Worian turned away a bit, ignoring Deaother while Kielle congratulated him as well. Vaelia was beaming at Deaother at that moment, and Deaother couldn't help but blush slightly. But at that instant, when Vaelia was going to say something, Worian began to speak.

"Vaelia, they are calling us. Come on…" Worian said loudly, his voice a little thick. Vaelia turned to him, her smile vanishing, and nodded.

"Good luck, Worian, I am sure you'll need it." Kielle joked, and Worian glared at her.

"Aye, good luck." Deaother said, and Worian nodded. But his eyes showed anger and jealousy towards Deaother, which Deaother found awkward, but not unexpected. Worian had been behaving like this with Deaother ever since Vaelia had been talking more and more with Deaother, and he had lost to Deaother in front of Vaelia.

 _Not much of a surprise . . ._ Deaother thought to himself.

The two of them walked to the sparring area and took up their positions. Deaother leaned against the nearby tree and watched them. Vaelia was wearing a silver tunic, and dark green leggings. Her sword was straight, sharp, long and as thick as Deaother's blade.

They blocked the edges of their swords, and Worian charged forwards immediately, swinging at Vaelia's thigh. Vaelia blocked the blow gracefully, then pushed his sword to the side and struck him in the forearm. Worian grimaced in pain.

"Kielle?" Deaother muttered, and Kielle turned to him with an eyebrow raised.

"What were you and Vaelia discussing while I was sparring with King Dathedr?" Deaother asked curiously, hoping that she would answer.

Kielle looked surprised that Deaother had noticed her and Vaelia waking away, then seemed uncertain whether she wanted to tell him or not.

"I won't tell anyone." Deaother promised, and since he was talking in the ancient language Kielle knew he would keep his word. Her doubt vanished.

"Well . . . I know many things about Worian. For a fact, I have known for many decades, and I know what type of a person he is. Vaelia . . . is fond of him, and she thinks he is fond of her as well. I held my tongue till now, but now I decided not to . . . Worian, it seems, doesn't like her. He has never shown any interest in her, never even tried express any kind of emotion that would indicate that he was fond of her. He is as blank as an empty parchment." Kielle told him sadly. Deaother raised an eyebrow. How did Kielle know all this, and what was her place to say all that? But he remained silent and nodded, allowing Kielle to continue talking.

"If Vaelia kept on chasing him, she would finally break down after learning the hard way that Worian doesn't like her, because I know she would confess everything to him, and he would refuse to take her as a mate. Vaelia would be broken then. I can't let that happen, so I told her of his true nature. She is really hurt at the moment, and I think Worian understood what I told her." Kielle told him solemnly. Deaother was astounded at her words.

 _I thought Worian was a good elf who would be able to keep Vaelia happy if they mated . . . It seems not, Vaelia must have been hurt immensely._ Deaother thought, and he knew that what Kielle said was true. She spoke in the language of no lies.

Abruptly, a mind nudged Deaother's consciousness, and he realized that it was Everaun. He let him in.

 _Yes, Everaun Rider?_

 _Greetings Deaother, your parents wish to talk to you, they are at the scrying mirror right now._ Everaun said, and Deaother felt joyful that he would be talking to his parents. Then a pang of guilt went through him because he had not contacted them at all during his stay in Ellesmera.

 _I am coming, are you at the tree house?_ Deaother asked as Vaelia rapped Worian on the thigh.

 _No, I am just a little away from you. I can see you from here, just turn around._ Everaun told him, and Deaother looked around. Sure enough, Everaun and his dragon, Phiole were there, several meters away.

Deaother nodded, then shouted, "Beat him Vaelia!"

Vaelia didn't look at him, but her eyes, which were quite strained, eased slightly, then Deaother turned around and trotted over to the Rider.

"There, I'll leave you it." Everaun said, and he and Phiole began to walk towards the field.

Deaother stood in front of the mirror, grinning.

"Atra esterní ono thelduin, Shur'tugalar un skulblakar!" Deaother said, and he saw Arya, Eragon, Murtagh and Nasuada jump slightly. They had been discussing something among themselves and had not noticed Deaother immediately. Their surprised looks were replaced by amused expressions when they saw Deaother.

"Ah Deaother, how are you?" Arya asked almost immediately.

"I am fine mother, how . . . and where are all of you?" Deaother asked as he noticed the surroundings. They were in a dragon hold of some city, not their home in Doru Araeba.

"We are currently at Kuasta, Deaother. We had some work, but now Illeria has found something very interesting so we are heading for Beirland as soon as possible." Arya told him.

"How is your time in Ellesmera going on?" Eragon asked as Deaother smiled and waved at the dragons, especially Saphira and Valinor.

"Its quite fun here, we are having a sparring competition, and I have qualified for the finals. Father, I defeated King Dathedr!" Deaother told him proudly, and Eragon laughed. Arya looked at Deaother in astonishment, while the dragons, Murtagh and Nasuada also joined Eragon in laughter after a moment of surprise.

"Now that's an achievement, defeating a King in front of all of his subjects, don't you think?" Eragon asked, and Arya hit him on the stomach while Eragon continued to laugh. Deaother twisted his hand over his sternum, and bowed.

"You didn't contact us at all these past few days, were you so immersed with this competition . . . and Vaelia?" Eragon asked, making Deaother flinch.

 _How does he know? . . . He doesn't! He is just pulling my ear._ Deaother thought, but found it quite hard to keep a straight face.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Deaother muttered and looked around hurriedly to ensure that there was no one around.

He could hear Arya and all the others laughing there.

"Deaother, I am your father. I know what you feel for her." Eragon said, and Deaother raised an eyebrow.

"There is nothing like that, we are friends." Deaother told Eragon, who shook his head. He must have noticed Deaother's half lie.

 _Oh no. . . Best change the topic._ Deaother thought, realizing he was in dangerous territory.

"Blast it, father, and tell me what are you doing in Kuasta?" Deaother asked them, annoyed.

"We are enjoying!" Eragon said, and Deaother raised both his eyebrows. Arya hit him on the stomach again, and Eragon grinned.

"I mean, we are working on something, that I will tell you when we meet. But for now, this will have to be it. Take care of yourself, son." Eragon told him, then walked out of the view of the mirror.

Arya then spoke, "You are eating properly aren't you? Not leaving meals out of laziness or something?"

"I am eating . . . What?" Deaother asked as Arya shot him a sharp look.

"I know that tone, you are telling me a half lie, out with it!"

"Fine, mother, I just skipped breakfast today because I woke up late and would have missed the match . . . and it was worth it, I defeated King Dathedr!" Deaother told her again.

"You mean you are on an empty stomach even now?" Arya asked him incredulously, and Deaother berated himself for not realizing that obvious fact.

"Mother . . . It doesn't matter, I am grown up now. I can live on an empty stomach for a while." Deaother said, but Arya wasn't convinced, and she knew that she wouldn't win the argument without more help. Deaother braced himself in advance at what was most obviously going to come, and he knew it would be surprising for both, him and Arya.

"Eragon! Put some sense into your son!" Arya shouted, and Eragon hurriedly appeared in the view of the mirror. He looked at Deaother's irritated expression, then at Arya's angry look, then his face turned blank for a while as if he was calculating the risk involved in going against Arya. Arya shot him a look of warning; Eragon fidgeted slightly when he saw it, then he turned to Deaother, who just smiled. Eragon's face went red as he himself began to lose control of his laughter.

Suddenly, he winked at Deaother and said, "Enjoy your time, son . . . Letta!"

The mirror abruptly went black after that, then showed Deaother looking at it blankly.

Deaother stared at his reflection for while, then burst out laughing. His father was most certainly in deep trouble at that instant.

 _Father, you can always make me laugh . . . but what is this work you had in Kuasta, and now in Beirland?_ Deaother thought, then with a pang he remembered Vaelia and he sprinted over to the field to see what was happening.

"Bravo, on time Deaother!" Kielle said as he appeared and looked around.

"Who's winning?" Deaother asked, and spotted Vaelia and Worian glaring at each other, their swords ready. Vaelia was standing at the edge of the boundary line, and Worian was a couple of yards ahead of her.

"Vaelia, obviously, I am sure the match is about to end now. Worian has lost his patience and has become quite reckless, and I am sure the match in is Vaelia's favor." Kielle said, while Deaother stared at them.

 _Well, looks like I missed the fun part._ Deaother thought.

But Deaother put these thoughts aside as Worian charged, but Vaelia parried the blow he directed at her. Then she jabbed back, but he parried her, so she struck his knee and tripped him. Worian fell with a grunt of pain, then rolled and got up.

As soon as he was on his feet, Vaelia pushed him out of the boundary line. He fell, sputtering, onto the mud, and looked up in dismay. He was lying right outside the boundary line, and the elves were looking at him amusedly.

He had lost . . . due to his carelessness.

Deaother and everyone else were silent, amazed at how abruptly the match had ended, then there was a short round of applause for Vaelia as Worian got to his feet, sputtering again.

Lord Fiolr and Lady Enaevia also seemed amused by what had happened in the match, and Deaother and Kielle began laughing.

"So…" Lady Enaevia paused to stifle her laughter, "This unpredictable match was won by Princess Vaelia . . . who has also been promoted to the Finals. Tomorrow shall be the last match of this competition, and it shall be between Vaelia and Deaother, May the stars watch over you…both." Lady Enaevia said, and Deaother noted that she seemed to dislike him. Her tone would become bitter whenever she said his name.

Vaelia walked past Deaother, her face strange. She had tied a band on her hair to make them into a ponytail, and nodded at Deaother and Kielle.

"Congratulations, Vaelia." Kielle said, but Vaelia just began walking away from them. Deaother was sure he noticed a tear in her eye.

"Knew this would happen . . ." Kielle muttered, and Deaother replied in an undertone.

"Perhaps . . . where's Worian?"

They both turned around to see him striding off into the pines, his neck a light pink color.

"Looks like he is quite embarrassed, don't you think?" Kielle muttered as the elves began to return to their homes or works. Lord Fiolr and Lady Enaevia walked away in opposite directions. King Dathedr was talking to Vanir and Blodhgarm.

"I will head for my room, Kielle, I am exhausted." Deaother said, and Kielle nodded. He turned and walked briskly towards the Tialdari hall.

He passed several elves on the way, all of whom congratulated him, and he thanked them in return. He was sure that he had created quite an impression of himself, defeating the elven king in front of all of his subjects was quite a feat indeed, as Eragon had said.

But Deaother wanted to find Vaelia and talk to her, find out the reason why she was downtrodden.

 _It's probably because of Worian. I don't know what happened, but Kielle told Vaelia all that. . . So, he isn't exactly what Vaelia thought he was._ Deaother thought, then couldn't help but let a smile come to himself, knowing that Vaelia had probably stopped liking Worian.

"Root of tree, fruit of vine. Let me pass by this blood of mine." Deaother said calmly, then entered the Tialdari Hall. He looked around, and spotted Vaelia walking away slowly towards the right. He sprinted after her.

"Vaelia! Wait!" Deaother said, and she stopped. She wiped her face and turned around to look at him, her eyes were red. Deaother skidded to a stop in front of her, then looked at her.

 _It seems that she is more hurt than I thought . . ._ Deaother observed, and a wave of guilt swept through him for feeling joyful that Vaelia might have given up on Worian.

"Vaelia, what is wrong? Why are you upset?" Deaother asked her. She stared at him for a while, then turned away. Her shoulders shivered slightly.

"Why . . . do you want to know?" She asked him so angrily, Deaother felt as if he had been slapped.

 _She is right in a way, what am I to her at the moment? . . .A friend!_ Deaother thought.

"B-Because I am your friend, that is why…And I might be able to help you." Deaother told her softly, and Vaelia turned to him again. Her eyes, which usually entranced him, now intimidated him. He silently promised that he would never make her feel the way Worian had, if he would ever come closer to her.

"If that is so, then tell me: Why do people love? What is the meaning, if pain is all that is going to give you?" Vaelia shouted, and Deaother retreated a bit from her. Some of the elves in the rooms came out and stared at them in surprise. Deaother ignored, and concentrated at the matter at hand, answering Vaelia's questions.

"Why do people love? That is easily answered. Love defines us, Princess Vaelia. It is love for our father, mother, family that gives us hope and strength when we are bereft of all other things… And there is more to it. When you find the right person, whom you know you can love, it is quite rare. But of course, that person should acknowledge your love for him, and return it as well. Only then can . . . . Vaelia?" Deaother lost the thread of his speech when Vaelia turned away from him, her shoulders quaking.

"If only I had known this before, I wouldn't have taken into this so lightly, so immaturely . . . But how do you know all this?" Vaelia asked him.

As she turned back to him, Deaother gazed at her tear filled black eyes, almost lost in them, then said without comprehending, "Because I believe in it."

Vaelia raised an eyebrow, which brought him back to his senses and he nodded.

"I…I know what you feel like about Worian." Deaother said, and Vaelia got a startled look on her face.

"How do-"

"It was obvious, I noticed it from the beginning." Deaother told her, and her face dropped a bit. Deaother then furiously thought back to what he had just said.

 _I shouldn't have said that!_ Deaother berated himself.

"I have left him . . . I thought he was a good person, a gentle, subtle and soft-spoken person who could keep me happy and place me before other things . . . . I did so for him. But I was wrong, he wasn't the way I thought . . . or hoped for him to be." Vaelia said, and Deaother walked closer to her. She looked up at him, and he counted one, two, three tears flowing down her eyes, and two more clinging to each of her eye lashes. She was beautiful even when she was crying, but Deaother tried to discard the fact so as to not get distracted.

"He isn't that bad, but still . . . I understand Vaelia . . . I just want to say that if you need my company or help, I'll be there and I will help you. I promise." Deaother said, and Vaelia gaped at him. He had sworn himself to her in the ancient language, he wouldn't be able break his word now.

Surprise then slowly ebbed away from Vaelia eyes as Deaother smiled at her reassuringly and nodded.

"I am glad, Deaother."


	16. Chapter 15

**_Chapter 15: An Interruption_**

 _How much longer Garjzla?_ Anurin asked him frantically.

 _Just a couple more hours, I think._ Garjzla replied exasperatedly. Anurin nocked his last arrow and aimed it at the Lethrblaka. He had tried to kill them numerous times, but his attempts had been foiled because the Lethrblaka weren't flying near each other now, they were flying separately, so anything that Anurin did wouldn't affect all of them. And whenever he would try to kill them with an arrow, they either dodge it, or moved enough so that they just get a wound. It was really frustrating.

Now, he was at his last arrow, he had nothing left other than magic which he was against using. He was already lending a lot of his strength to Garjzla; using magic would just make things worse.

 _This arrow must have a lasting impact . . . what shall I do with it?_ Anurin asked, and Garjzla twisted his head in annoyance.

 _I don't know! Startle them with bright light or something like that._ Garjzla said angrily.

 _Calm down, my good dragon._ Anurin said, and aimed at the leading Lethrblaka.

"Hope this works…"Anurin muttered to himself, then said, "Garjzla!" and shot the arrow. It whistled through the air faster than an eye could see, and embedded itself into the Lethrblaka's heart. This shot had been faster because of magic, and had more to it than it seemed. As soon as it pierced the beast's heart, it exploded in a flash of light brighter than the sun. The other Lethrblaka screeched loudly, the sound throbbed Anurin's ears. But he smiled, bright lights would confound the Lethrblaka and the Ra'zac, confusing them enough for him and Garjzla to get a lead.

 _We must hurry, this won't keep them at bay for long . . ._ Anurin said.

 _We will reach the elven capital, Ellesmera, soon. The elves will help us . . . are there Ra'zac atop those Lethrblaka?_ Garjzla asked, and Anurin strained his eyes to get a better look, then his face became grave and angry. They were, but they weren't the same Ra'zac that had been seen in Alagaesia. They were different, a twisted form, stronger, faster and more cunning than before, thanks to some evil magic Crugan had done.

 _Aye . . . If they catch us, and those Ra'zac jump onto you-_

 _You need not tell me! . . . We are going to be fine, I am sure._ Garjzla said, but Anurin knew that it wasn't true.

"The Final match of the competition shall take place today, fellow elves." Lady Enaevia said. "The contestants are Princess Vaelia and Deaother Eragonsson." A hint of loathing passed through her eyes, but she covered it.

"The participants please come to the field."

Deaother and Vaelia walked to the centre of the sparring area side by side. Deaother smiled at her, and she smiled back. They had refrained from discussing who was going to win in the sparring match, but they had both spent a lot of time together the previous evening. Deaother had enjoyed himself immensely, and was sure that Vaelia had grown closer to him, a fact that he felt elated to think about.

Now, they reached the field and stood several yards away from each other, still smiling. It was silent everywhere, but most of the elves expected Deaother to win, especially after he had defeated Dathedr.

"Vaelia, all the best." Deaother told her as he dulled his sword.

"To you as well, Deaother-vodhr." Vaelia told him, and he grinned. She was wearing white leggings under a deep purple tunic, and her black hair was set free.

They took their ready stances, and Deaother stood straight with his sword parallel to the ground, its tip pointing at Vaelia. Vaelia was crouched with the sword held protectively in front of her in her right hand.

Deaother stared right into her eyes, and she stared back. He was beginning to lose himself in her beautiful eyes, getting confused if they were eyes or pearls, or whether he would ever he able to stop staring at them. But he returned to the present abruptly. Vaelia charged forwards, her hair trailing behind her, and vaulted over him. Deaother turned around sharply and raised his sword as she landed and sliced at him. He blocked the blow easily and pushed her sword up. He tried to hit her shoulder, but she gracefully moved to the side, and his sword just scraped against her hand.

"What's wrong Deaother?" Vaelia asked him, and he grinned.

"Nothing." Deaother replied, and charged forwards as fast as he could, but Vaelia flipped over him. He skidded to a halt and slashed backwards, intending to hit her arm and disarm her, but his sword struck the cross guard of her sword, and got wedged into the twirling metal.

 _Blast this!_ Deaother swore, and tried to pull his sword back, but could not. The sword was interlocked too tightly.

Vaelia laughed, a true laugh, the sound a melody to Deaother's ears, and he loosened his grip on his sword a bit out of distraction. Something which he regretted almost immediately.

Vaelia must have noticed it, because she pulled his sword back, and it slipped right out of his grasp, which surprised him greatly. But as she pulled it, Deaother's sword also got free of the cross guard of her sword, and it sailed backwards and embedded itself into the ground a foot away from the boundary line. A few elves gasped, and a couple of them laughed.

"So, Deaother, you have been disarmed, do you yield?" Vaelia asked him amusedly, and he smiled. She didn't raise her sword to his neck, so he wasn't defeated yet.

All I have to do is get to my sword . . . Easy enough. Deaother thought and jumped away from Vaelia.

"I am afraid not, Princess Vaelia. I am not one who gives up so easily." Deaother said, and Vaelia charged forwards, just he had expected her to. When she was a yard away from him, Deaother jumped up as high as he could, and the elves gasped again. He soared about fifteen feet high, and ended up several yards way from Vaelia.

Vaelia turned around in shock, and he laughed as well. But Vaelia didn't give him time to do much more, she sprinted forwards, and Deaother hurriedly turned around, grabbed his sword and yanked it out of the ground. Then he whirled around again, the surroundings a blur, and blocked Vaelia's slash. Their sword met at the edge, and remained that way as Vaelia tried with all her might to push him out of the sparring area, and he held on against her strength.

"See? I don't give up that easily. But I must say, you are too good, have you been toying with me as well?" Deaother asked her, and she shook her head.

"No, Deaother, I have not. All I have done right now is change my fighting technique a lot." Vaelia gasped and tried in vain to push him back.

But suddenly, Deaother loosened his body, and he began to slide back. But it was not because Vaelia was finally over powering him. He had heard something, something different and alien. Something he had never heard in his entire life.

It was a shriek from a horrible creature.

He returned to his senses when Vaelia gasped once more, but had a triumphant look on her face because Deaother was just an inch away from the boundary line.

 _I should have paid attention to this!_ Deaother thought, then began to thrust his own sword forwards, and he effortlessly pushed Vaelia back. Vaelia gaped at him, and finally he pushed his sword so hard that Vaelia jumped backwards.

"H-How are you so strong?" Vaelia asked him, amazed at his strength.

"It runs in my family,I suppose." Deaother replied and slashed at her as hard as he could, but he stopped in mid-swing because his ears pounded harder than ever before. . .

 _What in Alagaesia!_ Deaother thought and dropped his sword in astonishment, just as several elves, including Vaelia and Dathedr, covered their ears.

A roar, louder than any that Alagaesia had heard for the past century, rent the air. Along with it were about four shrieks from abominations.

Vaelia also dropped her sword, her hands clasped to her ears. But Deaother looked up, and spotted a huge golden dragon diving straight at him, followed by four beasts he had seen only in fairths. They were Lethrblaka, and he was sure that there were the Ra'zac, their children, atop them. But that wasn't what bothered him. It was the fact that the golden dragon was going to crash exactly where Deaother was standing, and the Lethrblaka were going to crash into the surrounding tress.

 _Blast…_ Deaother thought, before coming to his senses and yelling, "MOVE! They are going to crash!"

Not pausing to think what he was doing, he grabbed his sword, sheathed it, then grabbed Vaelia's arm, and pulled her with him, away from the oncoming dragon.

"Deaother, what are you-?"

"That dragon will crush us if we don't move, hurry!" Deaother shouted at her, and she obeyed, albeit in a flustered way. They both sprinted straight, and stopped at the edge of the sparring area, wide eyed and startled as the ground trembled under them.

A Lethrblaka had crashed right in front of them, and they had been saved from death by the distance of a foot.

There was an ear splitting roar, and tremors could be felt across the ground as the huge dragon crashed onto it as well.

The elves yelled in panic, and there was commotion everywhere. Most of them retreated back, a few of them got crushed under a Lethrblaka, and the remaining hurried to the aid of their King.

"Vaelia, whatever happens, stay with me!" Deaother said, looking around. A creature got down from the Lethrblaka in front of them, dressed in torn, black robes. Deaother placed himself protectively in front of her as the creature, the Ra'zac, walked towards them, drawing a sick, curved sword.

"Elvesss, been too long since I sssaw nasssty, trickssy elvesss! . . . They ssshall all die." The Ra'zac hissed and stared at Deaother, who was looking at him with both his eyebrows raised.

"What isss it, mule?" The Ra'zac asked him.

"What a blockhead!" Deaother muttered to himself, and a series of clicks followed.

Deaother heard the sound of a sword being drawn, and he and Vaelia looked back to see another elf in golden armor, his long, bright hair flowing behind him in the wind, and his golden sword lustrous.

"Get away from them, foul Ra'zac! You are here for me!" He shouted, and clicks echoed from five directions. The dragon roared painfully, and Deaother observed him for the first time.

 _I don't know who this dragon and Rider are, but they surely aren't of the present order. Still, all I can do right now is trust them._ Deaother thought.

The dragon was twice Saphira's size, majestic, but was injured. It had broken its left wing when it had crashed, and was now lying on its belly, its legs too weak to bear its weight. The crash had the same effect on all the surrounding Lethrblaka. Two of them had crashed into the trees, and were extremely wounded. The other Lethrblaka had fallen into the gap between two trees, and had crushed a few elves. Deaother felt sympathy for them, and anger against these invaders, whoever they were.

Suddenly, there was the sound of robes flapping as three more Ra'zac emerged from the other side, all bearing the same, curved sword.

"Ssstupid elf, we ssshall kill all of you!"

Deaother grabbed Vaelia's hand, and led her closer to the Rider. Vaelia let him do so without any argument; it seemed she trusted him.

"Vaelia! You are alright!" A shout came, and Dathedr and Everaun appeared, they jumped over the Lethrblaka who had landed in front of them. About them, most of the elves fled since they did not have their weapons with them.

"I am fine father . . ." Vaelia replied, and Deaother nodded at him, though he let go of Vaelia's hand.

"You are fine Deaother . . . good!" Everaun said, then he and Dathedr looked at the Ra'zac in surprise. The Ra'zac seemed equally surprised to see those two.

"Alagaesssia ssshall fall!" One of the Ra'zac said suddenly, and charged forwards, but the golden Rider turned around and parried the blow with ease. Almost immediately, the other Ra'zac also ran at him, but Deaother blocked his sword, making the creature hiss.

Dathedr and Everaun joined them, but when Vaelia made to come, Dathedr said, "Get back Vaelia!"

The remaining Ra'zac charged as well, and it became a small battle, where all four Ra'zac were fighting Deaother, Dathedr, Everaun and the other Rider.

Hisses and curses followed slashes and strikes, and Deaother blocked a blow, pushed the sword aside and kicked the Ra'zac away. The Ra'zac scrambled to its feet and sprinted towards Vaelia, who threw it a look of disgust and horror, but she did not have her sword. It was lying to the side somewhere.

Deaother yelled manically and pounced onto the Ra'zac, tackling it to the ground, and got an extremely long scratch from his wrist to his elbow on his right hand as the Ra'zac's sharp beak tried to poke him. Snarling, Deaother bashed the pommel of his sword onto the Ra'zac's emaciated head, breaking the skull. The Ra'zac gave one final screech, after which it was silent. Deaother pulled his sword back and stood up warily, expecting the Ra'zac to get up and charge again. Then suddenly, he realized what he had done, with deliberate slowness and regret.

 _What have I done?_

He had killed, for the first time in his life, he had killed a living being, and was disgusted at himself because of it. He could hear cries of pain from his right, and the Ra'zac shrieking and screeching. But instead of joining the fight, Deaother just walked over to Vaelia, shuddering slightly. He could still feel the way the Ra'zac's skull had given way under his hand. Frustrated, he just stopped his arm from bleeding as he thought.

 _I can't believe what I just did . . . I took a life . . . I am a murderer! . . . No! I did that to protect Vaelia, she was defenseless. I was the only thing that stood between her and the Ra'zac._ Deaother argued, and believed it.

Behind him, Dathedr killed one more Ra'zac, but Everaun yelled in pain. Deaother turned around as Vaelia raised her hand to her mouth in shock. The point of the curved sword was protruding from Everaun's shoulder, and he fell to the ground. Somewhere to the side, behind one of the Lethrblaka, Phiole also roared in pain. Most of the Lethrblaka were dead, because they had crashed head long into the trees. Only one was alive, and he was crippled as well.

Dathedr and Deaother yelled in rage and charged at the Ra'zac, but the Ra'zac sprang onto the golden Rider.

 _T-T-That's disgusting!_ Deaother thought, and bile threatened to rise in his throat as the Ra'zac pecked the Rider on his neck, and the Rider bellowed and threw the Ra'zac away, but the harm was already done. Before Dathedr or Deaother could reach him, the remaining Ra'zac, who still had a sword and had been fighting the golden Rider, stabbed him straight in his stomach.

"AHH!" The Rider screamed, and the golden dragon roared and got to its feet with a great struggle. Deaother and Dathedr stood there, watching in horror as the Rider fell to the ground, clutching his bleeding wound. The Ra'zac gave shrieks of joy, but the golden dragon roared again and crushed both of them with his forelegs.

That was too much for Deaother, and he doubled over and vomited on the ground. Vaelia had a similar effect.

The Ra'zac had been crushed flat by the dragon, who roared again, smacked its tail onto the neck of the only Lethrblaka which was alive, beheading. Blue-green blood sprayed the ground, and a horrible smell pervaded the clearing, making Deaother feel just worse.

The dragon whipped his head around and stared at Deaother as he recovered and wiped his face, while Dathedr bent down and examined the wound the golden Rider had, and Vaelia healed Everaun.

 _Please . . . Heal my Rider, good elf. We have journeyed for months to reach here . . . Please._ An ancient and deep voice said in Deaother's mind, and he was amazed at the amount of memories and vastness of the dragon's mind. This dragon's mind was huge,  
almost as vast as Eragon's. But not quite, still it was extremely strong and must have been thrumming with energy when it was well rested and fed.

Dathedr seemed really concerned when he looked at the injury, but he started in downright astonishment when he saw the face of the Rider properly.

"A-A-Anurin?" Dathedr asked, and Deaother, Vaelia and Everaun also jumped. The Rider's eyes snapped open, and he stared at Deaother painfully.

"Anurin, is that you?" Dathedr asked again, and the Rider nodded, and gulped.

Deaother turned to the dragon, who was convulsing. He knew the pair, and in normal circumstances he would have astounded to see them, but now, after taking a life for the first time, he couldn't feel anything but numbness in himself.

 _You must be Garjzla . . ._ Deaother said, and the dragon nodded.

Dathedr was hurriedly reciting the spell to heal the Rider, and Deaother watched as his skin knotted back together and the Rider gave a sigh of relief. But a horrible mark remained above his belly where the sword had pierced him, and Anurin clutched it and grimaced painfully.

"D-Dathedr . . . It is good to see you again, though you were just a child when we last met." The Rider, Anurin, said in a rasp. His voice was weak, but he wasn't stammering.

Deaother jumped again as a hand grabbed his shoulder, but delicately. He turned around to see Vaelia, a concerned look on her face.

"What's wrong Deaother?" Vaelia asked him concernedly, and he was about to reply when Anurin started speaking again.

"I-I cannot survive like this, Dathedr . . . That sword had more to it than it seemed. I have barely a few minutes, and much to tell." Anurin said. Deaother looked at him in surprise, and Dathedr sighed heavily.

"Don't say such-"

"Where is Vrael? . . . ." Anurin asked, and the question hung unanswered for a while until Deaother decided to reply, though his voice was low.

"Vrael is d-dead . . . He died almost two hundred years ago…"

Anurin seemed shocked at his words, but he knew they were true because Deaother spoke in the ancient language. He rubbed his face with his hand, and a tear formed in his eye. The dragon keened sorrowfully, but Deaother noticed blood pouring from its side. He couldn't understand why.

"This is grave news . . . Who is the lead Rider now?" Anurin asked, and his voice had a sudden chill to it.

"My father, Eragon Kingslayer . . . Why?" Deaother asked him, and Anurin coughed, and even his dragon began to convulse.

"We bear grave news . . ." Anurin rasped.

"What is it?" Dathedr asked him.

"D-D-Dathedr . . ." Anurin said, and his voice began coming in short gasps. Garjzla roared again, but this time in pain. Deaother hurried to him, but he couldn't understand why the dragon was also convulsing. He probably was taking the pain away from his Rider.

"T-T-Tell . . . . E-E-Eragon needs a-aid . . . Otherwise A-A-Alagaesia . . . d-doomed . . . E-Eragon…aid…war . . . against…" Anurin grunted in pain, and his dragon slumped to the ground, breathing heavily.

"G-G-Garjzla . . . no…" Anurin hissed.

"A war against whom?" Dathedr asked him hurriedly, grasping his bone white hands.

"B-B-Burthr . . . a-abr . . . A-Andl…" Was what Anurin tried to say, and those were his last words. He gulped one last time, and clutched his wound, then his face fell back to the ground, his eyes dazed and unfocused. His empty stare made Deaother fidget and wish those eye were closed.

Death was imminent in Anurin, and his dragon.

Deaother walked over to the dragon and placed a hand on its snout, only to find that the dragon wasn't breathing.

Anurin and Garjzla were dead…

"Deaother? Are you in there?" A voice said, and Deaother's eyes snapped open.

He was in his accommodations in the Tialdari Hall, lying on his bed and thinking about the events earlier that day. It was night time, and he was still rather disturbed at Anurin and Garjzla's death. Even more at the fact that he had killed someone, whatever it was. It was a peculiar and horrible feeling for him.

"Coming, Vaelia." Deaother replied and hurried to the door.

 _I wonder why she is here._ He thought, but he was glad that she had come in the first place. He needed someone's company at the moment.

He opened the door gingerly, and saw Vaelia standing there, in a beautiful white dress. Her hair was set free, as usual, and she seemed as gorgeous as ever.

"Yes, Princess Vaelia?" Deaother asked her, with an eyebrow raised. She wasn't smiling as usual, but her eyes were sad and sober. Deaother wondered why, after all, he was the one who had taken a life. But indeed, this had been the first time that Deaother had seen a Rider and a dragon die. He had been born and brought up in times of peace and happiness. Sorrow of loss, grief, loneliness and most importantly, death had been strangers to him until that day. It seemed that Vaelia felt the same.

"Deaother . . . I thought you might appreciate some company, especially after what happened today." Vaelia told him so softly, he hardly heard her.

"A-Aye, Princess Vaelia." Deaother said, and nodded, though he didn't meet her eyes.

"Don't call me 'Princess'!" Vaelia said, though her voice was still quiet, he noted a hint of annoyance in her voice. He couldn't help but smile.

"Certainly." Deaother said, and looked up at her.

"You are the son of the Lead Rider, Deaother, we are both of the same status . . . . and you are my friend, you don't need not use any special title while addressing me." Vaelia told him, and he nodded again.

"Do you wish to take a walk around the hall?" Vaelia asked him, and it seemed that was the main reason for her to come to him.

 _A walk? . . . This is something she really has not asked me before. Oh well, I am not complaining._ Deaother thought to himself.

"Sure Vaelia." Deaother said and closed the door, smiling.

They walked for a while, and Deaother just silently strode with her, admiring the flowers, plants, several elves roaming here and there, and the different types of rooms. Above them, the crescent moon and several stars could be seen, forming constellations known and unknown to them.

They walked on for almost five minutes in silence, until Vaelia said, "I wish to thank you, Deaother, for keeping me safe from that Ra'zac . . . I would not be here if it were not for you."

Deaother turned to her, "It was my duty." He said impassively, and Vaelia nodded, though he saw something like disappointment in her eyes.

"I am sorry I left you there just like that, I should have been there for you. Especially after what you did for me, I will never forget it . . . I can't believe you killed that Ra'zac." Vaelia continued, and Deaother stopped walking suddenly, his eyes glazed with guilt and disgust. Vaelia didn't notice him stop for a few seconds, and she was quite surprised when she did. Deaother was staring at the ground and shivering. Tears came to his eyes as he thought of how he had slain the Ra'zac, how its skull had just broken under his hilt. He had underestimated his own strength.

 _What have I done?_ Deaother thought, guilt and regret bubbling in him, and tears flowing down his face in regard of his actions.

"Deaother? . . . . Deaother, what's wrong?" Vaelia asked worriedly as she hurried to him, but he covered his face in his hands, wiping off his tears.

Vaelia gazed at him intently, then pulled his arm away from his face, concerned.

"I… I feel like a monster! I can't believe I killed someone, Vaelia! I just can't . . . It's horrible!" Deaother said, tears streaked. He couldn't believe that, after he had felt the consciousness of so many beings around him, it was because of him that a living being would never return to the face of Alagaesia. It would be lost for ever.

Though, of course, he wasn't a saint who had never even hurt a fly, but in those situations, he had been careful enough to avoid killing the creatures. Now, he had slain a being, knowingly and purposely.

"Relax Deaother, you did what you did to help me . . . to protect me. Had you not killed that beaked abomination, I would be dead right now . . . I owe you my life, Deaother." Vaelia said and placed a hand on his chin, and slowly tilted his face up so that their eyes met. Deaother stared into her black eyes, and this time he was entranced in the amount of compassion those eyes contained for him. Just for him . . .

"Don't say that Vaelia. You don't owe me anything, except your friendship. That is all I ask of you." Deaother told her.

Vaelia smiled, and it seemed that she was going to reply in kind, but just then someone shouted, "Vaelia?"

They both turned around, and Vaelia almost immediately let go of Deaother's face, but they both saw Worian walking towards them, an astounded look on his face.

"Vaelia?" Worian asked again as he got nearer, and Vaelia edged a little closer to Deaother, who stared at Worian expressionlessly. Worian threw him a surprised look, then returned his gaze to Vaelia.

"I am thanking him for what he has done for me. And helping him as well . . ." Vaelia told him.

"Thanking him for what, what has he done?" Worian asked curiously, though his voice and tone were completely different than what Deaother was accustomed to hearing. What exactly was different, Deaother could not understand.

"He saved my life, earlier today. If you would have come to the match, you would have understood what friendship truly means. He risked himself to save me, and I am in his debt." Vaelia asked him, and Worian was dumbstruck. Deaother knew Worian found it hard to believe Vaelia's words.

"You can't mean . . . He slew a Ra'zac?" Worian asked, disbelievingly. Deaother jumped slightly as he realized Worian knew of the Ra'zac, but then he realized that some other elf must have told him what had happened.

"He did." Vaelia replied her voice low, and showed Worian Deaother's right hand, which still had the scar from the cut he had got earlier that day. Deaother had just hurriedly staunched the bleeding then, but had not bothered removing the scar.

Worian gaped at Deaother's hand, then turned away, his shoulder drooping. He walked away, his cloak whistling, and Deaother was sure that his shoulders shuddered just before he walked out of sight.


	17. Chapter 16

**_Chapter 16: A Reprieve, and Quakes_**

 _What a turncoat sheep!_ Elva thought angrily.

They were about an hour from Galfni, and Trellony and her dragon, Gedwëy, had insisted on accompanying them. Ephian had told Trellony that it was a mission only for him and Elva, but she and her dragon had not listened. During their journey through the caves and through the air, Trellony would almost constantly be with Ephian, making him ignore Elva. Elva had been quite downtrodden at this, until Ephian had asked Trellony to leave him alone, and he had come and spent some time with Elva.

Elva then realized that Ephian wanted to be with her, and not let her be alone, but Trellony was not allowing it.

"She is quite annoying, you know." Ephian had told her, and Elva had laughed.

But now, Trellony was walking around with Ephian. He and Elva had been sitting and talking for a while, when she had come around and had asked Ephian to come see something. Not waiting for his response, she had grabbed his hand, and had taken him away from Elva. Elva was walking after them now; she was not going to let Trellony have her way with Ephian.

They had stopped for the day, and were now on a small cliff, which had been formed on a mountain west of Galfni. It was a small cliff, but had enough room for all three dragons, and their Rider. The dragons were off hunting after flying for so long.

Ephian and Trellony were standing at the edge of the cliff when Elva joined them, and Trellony was pointing at something just below.

"That's a man! Ephian, I am sure, it's not a dwarf. They would be on Feldunost . . . We must get down there and explore it." Trellony said in an excited voice, while Ephian sighed.

"I and Elva will go and find out; you will stay here and wait for the dragons, okay?" Ephian asked her.

Trellony's excitement vanished almost as abruptly as it had come.

"No! I am-"

"You are staying here, because I and Elva are meant to do this mission, not you. If you want to help, then you and Gedwëy should go to the city when the dragons arrive, understood? But Eridor and Jiarha will stay here and wait for me and Elva. I know for a fact that there is a tunnel of sorts here, but that doesn't matter . . . . Come on, Elva!" Ephian said with authority, and he jumped off the cliff, then lowered himself at a slower speed with magic, using the energy stored in the jewel of his sword.

"See you later, Trellony!" Elva said and jumped down as well, following Ephian with magic.

It was a small drop, and they reached it within a couple of minutes. The mountain was bare stone, with just a few patches of grass and lichen here and there. But the ground on which they were landing had grass, bushes and some short trees. As soon as he landed, Ephian drew his black sword and, then waited for Elva to reach him. She did in a few seconds, and drew her sword as well.

"I know where the entrance is . . . at least, I have an idea of the direction. Just follow me . . . What? Beautiful? What kind of a name is that, for a sword?" Ephian asked her; his own sword was named Edoc'sil.

"It seems beautiful to me, that is why . . . 'Unconquerable'? Why, I can conquer your sword easily!" Elva joked, and Ephian shrugged, "I wouldn't say that."

Elva smiled, but thought, I don't want to just capture your sword . . . your heart as well.

"Whatever happens, don't let your guard down, and keep your mental barriers up." Ephian instructed, then began creeping forward as quietly as he could.

Elva did as she was told, and kept her ears strained for any sound. The only thing she could hear was her own and Ephian's breathing and their footsteps. She crept up to Ephian, and he nodded at her.

"Stay behind me, fine?" Ephian asked her in an undertone.

Elva nodded reluctantly. Ephian smiled, then looked at the silver patch on her forehead, which was glistening in the sunlight. His smile vanished, to a look of curiosity and wonder.

"Dragon magic, Saphira used it when Eragon cursed me by mistake." Elva told him quietly, a little surprised that he had never noticed it before.

Ephian nodded, then began to walk forward once more, into the vegetation of the thick bushes that lined the side of the mountain. They crept on for about half an hour, forcing their way through the brambles, or carefully stepping over roots. Once or twice, Elva tripped and fell, only to be helped up by Ephian, who was grinning all the while. Elva's ears were burning out of embarrassment right now.

 _Elva, I am back!_ Eridor said in her mind suddenly, and she jumped, snapping a couple of twigs on the ground. Ephian's head whirled around, sword raised, but he relaxed when he realized it was Elva.

"Eridor . . ." Elva whispered, to which Ephian nodded, and he jumped slightly as well.

"And Jiarha!" Ephian replied, then turned around and began walking towards the mountain side. Suddenly he stopped again and called Elva closer, and they were both in the cover of the bushes. He stared at a place where there were no trees, no grass, just a patch of bare stone, and he seemed triumphant.

Pointing Edoc'sil at it, he said, "There's a cave over there. I am sure. But it is hidden by magic. Once we reach Galfni and report to that Grimstborith, we must enter this mountain from here. This has to be one of the alternate exits, rather than the main entrance. But this is the mountain that has Mani's caves." Ephian seemed delighted at the discovery.

Elva smiled and nodded, "Looks like gaining an entrance was much easier than I thought . . . Now we need to find those mongrels, and bring them to justice."

"We will, but right now I must do something about Trellony . . . She and Gedwëy didn't go to Galfni as I asked them to." Ephian said, a little angry at the fact that Trellony had disobeyed him. Elva just nodded, pleased, but he didn't show it.

"Elva, right now, we must go to the city, and meet the clan chief of Az Sweldn rak Anhuin. I just hope he will have the decency to welcome us properly." Ephian said, and looked up as Eridor and Jiarha flew down to pick their respective Riders up.

"Why didn't you listen to me, Trellony?" Ephian asked her as he jumped down from Jiarha's back.

 _Calm down, Ephian._ Jiarha told him, but he ignored her.

Trellony turned to Ephian and raised an eyebrow, "How could I go there without Gedwëy? And you two returned almost as soon as the dragons came back."

Jiarha hissed angrily, and Eridor growled.

 _Don't lie, stupid two leg! Gedwëy came back half an hour ago, I told her to go away so that I and Eridor could . . . discuss something. But that is irrelevant, fact is that you are lying._ Jiarha thundered in all their minds, and Ephian's head throbbed mightily.

 _Jiarha calm down . . . please?_ Ephian told her, but this time she ignored him.

Trellony retreated towards Gedwëy slightly, and Ephian said, "You are not included in this mission, Trellony, then why are you coming with us? You are disobeying the orders given to you, and Gedwëy, and those are to remain in Farthen Dur." Ephian told her with a strict expression, and Trellony glared back.

"What do you know about my orders?" Trellony shouted back, making Ephian's face go deadly serious.

"I am the Senior Ranger, Trellony, three levels higher than your rank of Defender. You should have some respect . . . As is my right, I order you and Gedwëy to return to Tronjheim this instant." Ephian thundered back, and Elva looked at him, startled.

Trellony stared at Ephian, hurt and surprised at his tone, then she turned around and got onto Gedwëy. She purposely kept her gaze away from Ephian and Elva. The brown dragon roared, and took off, angling west, her scales glistening in the sunlight.

 _That went well . . . I didn't expect her to leave so abruptly. I thought she would quarrel._ Ephian thought to Jiarha. Jiarha snorted in amusement.

 _I thought the same, but we were luckier than before. At least we won't have her to tend with . . . Eridor was getting distanced from me because of Gedwëy, she kept on distracting him._ Jiarha told him absentmindedly, and Ephian gaped at her, then grinned, to which Jiarha shot a sharp look.

 _What is so funny?_ Jiarha asked him, and Ephian shook his head, then began to walk towards Elva, who was rubbing Eridor's neck.

But suddenly, Jiarha jumped forwards and grabbed Ephian in her claws. Ephian yelled and tried to push the talons away, but Jiarha brought her face in front of his and glared at him with her black eyes.

 _Nothing, Jiarha! Let me go . . . Please!_ Ephian said hurriedly, and wriggled around in her grasp, but Jiarha just blinked.

 _I am not a fool, Ephian, I know what you were thinking . . . I want to make a fool out of you in front of Elva._ Jiarha told him, and he looked around in astonishment, and his black eyes met Elva's blue ones. He could tell that she was controlling her laughter somehow, by the fact that her face was reddening.

 _No, please! I won't tease you again._ Ephian pleaded, but Jiarha laughed, a stone grinding laugh that made the hair at the back of Ephian's neck stand.

 _I think I should teach you a lesson anyway._ Jiarha said, and Ephian tried to break out of her grip, but she was too strong.

 _Oh no, please Jiarha!_ Ephian said, but Jiarha pinned him to the ground with her foreleg and puffed smoke over him, making Ephian cough. When the smoke cleared, Ephian's face was a blackened with soot and he was coughing a lot. Jiarha had never gone to that level, the most she had done was poke him with the talons.

 _That's all I will do this time, but if you repeat it, I will lick your clothes off and make you stand without them in front of Elva, is that agreeable?_ Jiarha asked him as he wiped his face.

 _As you will . . . its not like I have a choice, do I?_ Ephian asked her, and she puffed smoke all over his face again.

She let him up after that, and he turned around to see Elva and Eridor laughing.

 _Jiarha!_ Ephian said angrily.

 _It was your fault, you know that._

Ephian grunted in response, then smiled as Elva looked at him. Her eyes widened in shock and amusement, then she bent down and laughed so hard, she had to cling onto Eridor for support.

"Elva, what's so funny?" Ephian asked her, and Elva looked up again, still laughing.

"Your face . . . it is completely black!"

Ephian cursed in an undertone and wiped his face a second time, incensed and exasperated at his dragon's behavior. Jiarha was grinning wolfishly at the laughing blue dragon and Rider.

Then suddenly, the cliff they were on began trembling. And a deep 'Gong' sounded somewhere under them; the entire mountain seemed to be shaking, the intensity of the quake increasing gradually.

 _What in Alagaesia!_ Ephian thought, and almost fell when the trembling grew enormously.

Ephian looked around, trying to remain calm, and holding his hands out to balance himself. Ahead of him, Elva had already fallen to the ground, and Eridor seemed to be losing balance. If he fell, he would crush Elva, or break her leg. Ephian noticed that, and Eridor roared at Elva. Elva tried to get up, but in vain as the mountain trembled with suppressed rage.

 _Ephian, no!_ Jiarha said, but he sprinted forwards, despite the quaking ground. Trees could be heard snapping and falling to the ground, but Ephian ran up to Elva, and picked her up hurriedly. Then he sprinted to the side, albeit slowly because he had Elva to carry as well. Jiarha roared as she lost her balance and fell straight to the ground, her weight just aggravating the situation.

Eridor also had the same problem, he sank his claws deep into the ground, but then, with a screech, his talons slid out of the ground, and he also roared as he fell. His tail smashed the ground just inches away from Ephian and Elva.

"Ephian . . ." Elva said, her eyes containing wonder for what he had just done, gratitude, and something else which Ephian could not comprehend.

The mountain trembled again, much more violently than before, and Ephian lost his balance as well. With a shout, he fell flat onto his back, with Elva on top of him. Her sharp elbow poked his stomach, and he grunted at the pain. A few stones cracked, branches snapped away from the trees and fell to the ground.

Birds chirped in panic and flew away from the mountain, here and there wolves, bears and boars howled. But all this was happening below the cliff where the dragons and Riders were.

"Elva . . . will you please move your hand? It is knocking the wind out of me." Ephian groaned as her elbow just dug deeper into his belly as the mountain seemed to be moving away.

"Oh, I am so sorry." Elva said and immediately moved her hand. Ephian looked around, but he couldn't twist his head enough to look at Jiarha, though he could sense the pain she was feeling through their connection.

 _Ephian , you aren't hurt, are you?_

 _No, Jiarha . . . Why is this mountain shaking so much?_ Ephian thought, and winced as Elva's face fell onto his chest. Jiarha replied, but he didn't understand what she said because he was distracted at Elva's actions.

"Elva, are you alright?" Ephian asked her.

"No . . . This is really frightening!" Elva told him in a muffled voice.

"It will be over soon, don't worry." Ephian told her, and slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, which were also shivering slightly. Though, they stopped shivering a few minutes later.

"I hope you are right." Elva said in a croaky voice.

"Trust me . . ." Ephian told her, and held her tightly.

 _Looks like this trembling did more than it should have._ Jiarha commented.

 _No . . . Well, maybe yes, but I would have preferred if it would not have quaked at all . . . can this have something to do with those magicians?_ Ephian thought suddenly, and apprehension slowly began to find its way into his mind.

 _It could be . . . But, how could they be so-_

 _The Shade! Jiarha, the Shade! If that Shade is here, and he has interpreted the wild magic . . . It all makes sense!_ Ephian thought.

Jiarha was quite surprised at what Ephian concluded, and even more at his emotions.

The quaking continued for several more minutes, after which it abated. Elva looked up slowly after it really did stop, and Ephian looked around. Eridor got up hurriedly, but painfully and walked over to Jiarha, who had fallen over her hind leg and was not able to get up because her wing was getting crushed under the rest of her body, but her leg was below the very same wing. She growled painfully as she was unable to get up.

 _Jiarha . . ._

 _I will be fine, you stay with Elva. Eridor is coming to help me._ Jiarha told him sharply, as Ephian and Elva both turned to her, concerned.

 _As you wish._ Ephian replied, then realized that Elva was still on top of him, and in his embrace. Elva must have realized it as well, because she hurriedly scrambled to her feet. She eyed him nervously, then began walking away in an embarrassed way, her face pink.

"Elva, it is fine. No need to be embarrassed. I had to help you, you would have got a terrible injury if I would not have got you away from Eridor." Ephian told her as he stood up as well. She turned her face still pink, and gave him an uncertain smile.

"Thank you for that, Ephian." Elva told him, and he nodded.

Behind them, Eridor somehow managed to get the wing out from under Jiarha's body, and pulled her to her feet. Eridor growled at her, though Ephian could tell that he was exhausted. But Jiarha's feelings and emotions were quite awkward, she was feeling immense gratitude for Eridor, something which Ephian had rarely felt in her.

 _Thank you, Eridor._ Jiarha told him sweetly after she was finally able to move her legs and wings around, and Eridor grinned.

 _You are welcome, Jiarha._


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: A Dilemma of Options**

Eragon stood in the dragon hold, next to Saphira, and all the other dragons and Riders. They watched the sun rise, and experienced the cold that the wind brought them.

They were going to leave Kuasta at that instant, and Eragon was smiling. The day before the previous day, Eragon had talked to Deaother, and he always enjoyed talking to his son. He felt like his was taking to a mirror image of himself, though not in looks but in behavior. Eragon had teased Arya a lot by the fact that Deaother was more like him than like her, a fact that had annoyed her, but then she had accepted that it was for the best.

"At least he won't act like a cold, heartless person, and shut himself from the world." Arya had said, making Eragon a little irritated.

But the last time they had talked, Eragon could understand by the way Deaother was behaving that he was trying to impress Vaelia, or at least get close to her. He wasn't worried about it, his son had inherited Arya's sense of logic, and he would probably know which way was the best, and which way he should take in order to pursue her. Eragon knew Deaother wouldn't be as rash as Eragon had been when he had tried to pursue Arya at the last Agaetí Blödhren.

"Arya . . . There is going to be another Blood-Oath celebration this year as well, isn't there?" Eragon asked her.

"Yes, it is. But, it is about six months away, there is a lot of time." Arya told him, and he nodded.

"A hundred years since I changed . . . A Hundred years of happiness." Eragon told her, and Saphira growled.

Eragon wrapped an arm around Arya's shoulders, and held her lightly as she placed her head on his chest.

"Du Domia abr Ilian, I can call it, one that has come after a very long time." Arya told him, and he smiled.

 _It indeed has._ Saphira said. They were waiting for Illeria and Lenora to return. Soon after, Eragon and Arya sat on the edge of the open side of the dragon hold, gazing at the mountains. Saphira and Thorn were lying together, inside the room. Nasuada and Murtagh were discussing something in one corner, while Valinor and Draumr flew around.

Eragon was silent, as was Arya, they were just enjoying each other's company and watching the beautiful scenery in front of them, in each other's arms. They had been doing this for the past century, but both of them had never got tired of it. They treasured each other, especially since they nearly lost the one-another in the war with Galbatorix. Eragon knew that he could lose Arya at any time, even after Galbatorix's death. They had survived death. But could they survive catastrophe and destruction? Only time would tell, and Eragon and Saphira were the only ones who truly knew the seriousness of the threat that they knew was coming.

 _Maybe, I should have confided in Arya a long time ago. Things would have been much better that way._ Eragon thought to himself.

 _You should have, you are realizing it now?_ A voice said in his mind, and he recognized it as Arya's. Even after all these years, Arya still enjoyed reading his emotions and thoughts, because they were ever changing, but Eragon didn't take any such liberties with her, in most cases.

 _No Arya, but it has been bugging me for a while. I think, we would have been better prepared._

 _Tis' useless having second thoughts now, Eragon, you should have had these thoughts a hundred years ago. Now, it does not matter . . . you made your choice._ Arya said, and Eragon nodded mentally.

 _Be as it may, I still love you._ Arya continued, and Eragon smiled.

 _You realized that now?_ Eragon asked her, and was rewarded with a nudge in the ribs.

 _Don't be an idiot._

 _Right . . . I love you too._ Eragon told her and kissed her cheek, and she smiled and ruffled his hair.

But their train of thoughts and conversation was interrupted by a voice, "Err . . . Father? Mother? I need to speak to you."

Eragon smiled, but Arya jumped slightly, and they both turned to the mirror that was placed on the wall.

"Murtagh, Nasuada, you might also want to hear this. Ask the dragons to come here as well." The voice continued, and Eragon nodded at his son who was standing in the mirror.

Saphira and Thorn crawled over to the mirror, just as the Riders reached it. Valinor and Draumr glided to a halt inside the room, and they joined in as well.

Eragon stared at Deaother, his son seemed really different all of a sudden. His face had dark spots under them, his clothes were dirty, and his hair was shaggy and un-kept. A little stubble could be seen growing on his chin, but that was all that grew for him, since he was an elf for the most part, and was immortal as well.

"Deaother, what has happened to you?" Arya asked, and Murtagh and Nasuada looked at him curiously as well.

Saphira let out a small growl.

"I'll explain that, but first things first . . . Father, yesterday was the last sparring match of the competition, between me and Vaelia. While we were fighting, something happened . . ." Deaother said, and rubbed his chin distractedly.

Eragon knew that there something more to this than just a sparring competition, and he could tell that his son was nervous.

"What did you do? Break Vaelia's hand?" Murtagh asked him, and Deaother got a small smile on his face, but it was short lived.

"No, Murtagh, but . . . a dragon suddenly entered Ellesméra . . . from the north."

"What?" Eragon asked almost immediately, making all the others jump. "Where is it now? Who was its Rider?"

"Father, they are both dead . . . They were being chased by four Lethrblaka and the Ra'zac." Deaother said, and Eragon was startled. Arya and Nasuada gave cries of shock, Murtagh raised his eyebrows, and the dragons yelped in dismay as they heard him.

"That's impossible! The Ra'zac and the Lethrblaka are extinct; we slew the last of them." Eragon told him.

"And I and Thorn got a good hiding to boot from Galbatorix because of that." Murtagh put in, to which Eragon grinned and Saphira gave Thorn an apologetic look. He licked her face in return.

"No, no! Father, listen please, I fought those Ra'zac . . . Dathedr, Everaun, that Rider along with me fought those four Ra'zac . . . Let me explain. The dragon and Rider were Garjzla and Anurin." Deaother told them frantically.

 _What? They returned . . . They were chasing Crugan, according to what Galbatorix said._ Eragon told Saphira and Arya, and Saphira replied in the affirmative while Arya just seemed to be confused.

"Garjzla crashed in the sparring area, and nearly crushed me and Vaelia . . . The Lethrblaka crashed into the trees, and one of them fell onto a few elves. Those beasts are dead now, as are the Ra'zac . . . I killed a Ra'zac." Deaother told them, and he didn't seem proud or happy about it either. He said those last words with guilt, regret and disgust.

 _So that's what has happened to him . . . He is disgusted at himself for killing the Ra'zac, and he is angry as well._ Eragon picked up immediately, and Arya and Saphira seemed to understand it.

 _This is not good, for Deaother and for us . . . talk to him, Arya, I trust you to explain it better than me. You are his mother._ Eragon continued, and Arya agreed.

Eragon stared at Deaother, he had not expected his son to do something like that, though he knew that the Ra'zac were no match for Deaother. It came as a shock that his son also had slain the Ra'zac in combat.

"Deaother, I know how you feel . . . It's never easy when you take a life, I have been through it. But know this, I know you did it protect your friends. You did the right thing, and a Ra'zac is not the creature you should feel pity for, understood?" Arya told him, and Deaother nodded.

"The Ra'zac hunt humans for sport . . . they love to kill humans, elves, dwarves and even Urgals to some extent. They are evil, son, and they don't deserve mercy. I learnt it the hard way when they killed your great Uncle, Garrow, and your grand-father, Brom . . . That was all I needed to know their true nature." Eragon added, and Deaother seemed eased of the pressure that must have been accumulating on him for quite a while.

"Father, you must come here and investigate this, their bodies are still where they landed . . . And Anurin said something just before he died, something about you. He said you need aid, and 'war'. He just said 'war'. I don't know what it means. And Everaun has been seriously wounded, a Ra'zac's sword went right through his shoulder. The elves are trying to heal him, but so far, they are expecting the worst . . . Will you, and mother, come here?" Deaother asked them, and Eragon got a little frustrated at his request.

 _The most important thing to us right now is to find Heslant, and we even know where he is. But . . . we can't, why? Because people are pulling us in wrong directions. This is not right!_ Eragon told Arya and Saphira. Saphira snorted at his frustration, while Arya threw him a glare.

 _Our son is more important, Eragon!_ Arya told him, and Eragon scowled.

 _Our son is not a child. He is almost a hundred years old, Arya, and he is quite capable of taking care of himself._ Eragon told her in a thick voice.

 _Are you blind Eragon? Just look at his condition!_ Arya told him, and they both turned to Deaother, who jumped slightly at the sharp stares his parents shot him. He did look ragged and it seemed as if he had not slept in a while.

 _So, what is it that you want to do?_ Eragon asked her, though he already knew the answer.

Arya turned to him, and stared right into his eyes to signify the final result of their argument, because she knew Eragon wouldn't decline it now.

 _We are going to Ellesméra!_

 _Oh, that's blasted fine, I tell you._ Eragon concluded, then turned away from Arya.

 _Little one, calm down._ Saphira said in a soothing voice, moving his frustration away. Eragon nodded, still frustrated but he knew that having one female angry at him was better than having both of them ready to slap and smack him.

"We will be there in a few days. Take care till then . . ." Eragon told him in as calm a voice as he could muster. Deaother must have noticed the change in Eragon's tone, though he didn't react to it.

"Yes, thank you father." Deaother said, then terminated the spell. As soon as the mirror went black, Eragon turned to Murtagh and Nasuada.

"Listen here . . . I, Arya, Saphira and Valinor will go to Ellesméra. Murtagh, Nasuada, Thorn and Draumr head for Doru Araeba and make sure things are still in order. I have a feeling that things are going to get complicated now . . . Illeria . . . I am sorry, but too much is at stake, and there are much more important things at the moment, so I suggest you and Lenora return to Beirland and keep a watchful eye." Eragon said, much to Illeria's apparent disappointment, but she knew better than to argue against the Lead rider. She just nodded and bowed, then walked over to Lenora.

"Illeria, I wish I could come to Beirland, but many things are tugging us in either directions. Your case is not an urgent one, while the one at Ellesméra is . . . I truly am sorry, Illeria and Lenora, especially after the effort you took to come here and inform us. Rest assured, we will come there." Eragon told her, and Illeria's face lit up a bit. Lenora growled.

 _We understand, ebrithil. We will see you at Eoam afterwards._ Lenora said. Illeria nodded at her words.

Valinor and Draumr walked over to them, since Lenora was their child. The family had a talk, and soon Lenora roared and flew off.

Meanwhile, Eragon continued talking to Murtagh and Nasuada, "I know for a fact that Eoam was attacked by many of those rebel spell casters, but Illeria and Lenora repelled them. They forgot to mention it to us yesterday . . . If all goes well, then we will see you at Tierm in two weeks time, agreed?" Eragon asked them.

Murtagh and Nasuada agreed to them a little grudgingly, though the dragons were reluctant to part, since Thorn was Saphira's mate and Valinor was Draumr's. They stared at each other longingly, unwilling to get separated, until Eragon decided to speak to all of them directly.

 _I am sorry, you four . . . but we do not have an alternative this time. We will be reunited soon, don't worry._ Eragon told them.

Saphira growled sadly at Eragon's words, and retreated slightly. Thorn, Valinor and Draumr also felt the same as her. They were going to be separated from their mates, something that had not happened for quite a long time. Eragon's and Arya's decision had been a painful one, and Saphira could feel the guilt in him at his own actions.

 _Saphira, I am-_ Eragon began to tell her, but Saphira cut him off.

 _Leave it Eragon . . . I want to spend some time with Thorn, can we leave after a couple of hours or so?_ Saphira asked him.

 _Of course, take your time with him . . ._ Eragon told her. He himself walked over to the open side of the dragon hold, and Arya with him. Murtagh and Nasuada were standing in front of their dragons, discussing something, until Thorn growled and walked over to Saphira. Murtagh and Nasuada joined Eragon and Arya, while Valinor and Draumr took to the air again.

 _This was unexpected._ Thorn told her. Saphira watched him as she settled on the floor, folding her huge wings. Thorn's and her size was much the same, though to one who did not know too much about dragons, it would seem that Thorn was older because of his legs and wider wings.

He came and settled down next to her as well, and coiled his tail around Saphira's.

 _It was unexpected, but I am worried . . . If Anurin came back with his dragon, then it can only mean that Crugan is on the move._ Saphira told him. She turned to him, and he turned to her. They stared into each other's eyes for a while.

 _That might be true, but no need for any heavy discussions right now._ Thorn told her and licked her forehead. We are going separate ways . . . but I don't think we should be so agitated about it. It is just a matter of two weeks.

Saphira growled and sidled closer to him, placing her foreleg on his. Thorn replied by covering her in his wing.

 _I wish I could just lie here with you all day._ Saphira told him, resting her head and neck on his shoulder.

 _And I wish nothing more to have you with me . . ._ Thorn told her.

They were silent for a while, watching Valinor and Draumr fly around and enjoy the time they had.

 _Thorn, I shall be incomplete without you for these two weeks . . . We are a part of each other now, we are not supposed to get separated._ Saphira told him, and Thorn got a glint in his eye, one that Saphira had not seen before.

 _Is that what you truly wish, for me to be with you wherever you go . . . Even if death itself separates us?_ Thorn asked her, and Saphira nodded absent-mindedly.

 _I believe I have an answer, the-_ Thorn was about to reveal it, but Saphira cut him off.

 _No Thorn! I don't want your eldunari. I'd rather not have it._ Saphira told him abruptly, and Thorn's eyes widened.

 _But I have already disgorged it . . . Galbatorix made me disgorge it when I became perhaps a few months old, after you and Eragon repelled us the second time._ Thorn told her, and Saphira turned to him, though not in surprise.

 _I know, Thorn, but I still don't want it. It is safer in yours and Murtagh's hands._ Saphira told him.

 _I trust you with my life Saphira, and this is one way of showing it . . . and a good way as well, at least we can talk to each other this way._ Thorn told her.

Saphira stared at him for a while, and Thorn stared back, until she finally gave in and bowed her head.

 _I agree Thorn . . . it would be convenient but-_

 _No 'buts', you are going to take my heart, which you have already captured, and you are going to keep it._ Thorn told her.

Saphira stared at him for a while, suddenly unable to accept what he was saying.

 _Thorn . . . not your eldunari . . . I'd rather give you mine._ Saphira told him, but Thorn shook his head.

 _You haven't disgorged it, nor do I want you to. I was forced to disgorge it when I was young, and there's no going back now . . . just take it._ Thorn replied.

 _I am sorry Thorn, but not right now . . . Only if this happens once more, and if we are going to be separated for a long time. I'd prefer that._ Saphira told him, and licked his face passionately.

Thorn growled disappointedly, then coiled his tail around her body and pulled her even closer, clasping her to his side with his wing. Saphira growled as she was immobilized by him.

As you wish . . . But I'd prefer us not to get separated at all. Thorn told her.

* * *  
{ Several hours later }

 _I need your help, Eragon._ A voice said all of a sudden.

"What?"

 _You must come to me . . ._ The voice continued.

"Who's there?"

Eragon looked around. It was nighttime, and he, Arya, Saphira and Valinor had begun their journey towards Ellesméra. They were on the shores of the Toark River at the moment. Arya was sleeping in his arms, her breath warming his chest.

Eragon had heard a voice inside his head just now. He hadn't fallen asleep because he was contemplating the possibilities of Anurin's visit. He and Saphira had been discussing the issue until she had fallen asleep.

Their camp was just next to the River. They were on a plain, except to the west, where mountains could be seen. Saphira was huddled close to the River, and Valinor was curled up a little away from Arya and Eragon.

Eragon softly extricated himself from Arya's arms and placed them around the pillow. She embraced and nuzzled it on instinct; just she had once before when the Menoa tree had contacted Eragon nearly a century ago. He smiled at her again, then stood up and walked over the river, trying to understand what the source of the voice was. It was male, but he couldn't feel any consciousness extending to his own. It was just a voice, sound, but the sound of thoughts, vibrations in one's mind.

 _I need you, Eragon._ The voice said once more, and Eragon jumped, then whirled around, his left hand raised to block any oncoming blow, and his right hand prepared to use magic, the Gedwëy Ignasia shimmering.

"Who are you?" Eragon muttered out loud, and turned again. Saphira stirred slightly, as did Arya, but both of them didn't wake up. Valinor snored.

 _I am what you are._

Eragon strained his eyes as he looked around and reflected on those words in his mind.

"I don't get you." Eragon said in a low voice.

 _Eragon, Alagaesia is in peril._

"No . . . It can't be. Crugan hasn't come here yet." Eragon said, and his voice began to grow louder.

 _He will._ The voice said, and Eragon was surprised at it.

"What do you mean?" Eragon asked.

 _He is planning on it even now, and his plans have got into effect. You must come to me and help me before he succeeds._

"What plans?" Eragon asked angrily.

 _And evil is already within your lands._

"Where?" Eragon asked furiously. He turned and looked into his own reflection in the river, and watched his eyes being reflected in the fast flowing water, along with the innumerable, twinkling stars and the gibbous moon.

 _I do not know._

"Who are you?" Eragon said even more loudly, and Saphira stirred. Arya tightened her hands around the pillow, and Valinor snorted, flames erupted from his snout.

 _I told you, Eragon . . . I am what you are._

"Give me a straight answer!" Eragon began losing his temper, agitated by the fact that he could not sense the person who was speaking in his mind, he could see the person either, nor did he know where or who the person was.

 _You will get it, but you must come to me for it._

"Where are you?" Eragon shouted, his temper flared. Saphira growled and opened her eyes in surprise, but immediately her mind was thrown out of Eragon's, though Eragon himself didn't notice it. Arya jumped out of her bed, still clutching the pillow, then she looked at Eragon in surprise, and jumped when she saw the pillow in her hand. Valinor got up, rumbling and staring at Eragon curiously.

 _You wish to know?_

"I do!" Eragon shouted just as loudly. He didn't notice his companions looking at him with bemused expressions.

No reply came, and Eragon closed his eyes and tried to locate any person that nearby other than his companions. He extended his mind until he could sense the sea, past the mountains of the Spine, but he couldn't find any shielded consciousness with a dozen miles around him.

"Eragon?" Arya asked suddenly, and he jumped a foot backward, his feet getting soaked in the river.

"Arya!" Eragon said, astonished out of his wits.

Saphira growled at him, and entered his mind once more.

 _Why did you push me out?_ Saphira asked him, indignant.

 _I didn't!_ Eragon told her equally angry.

"Why were you yelling?" Arya asked him as he looked at her.

"Someone was talking to me, through my mind, and I just . . . reacted on instinct and talked to him through my mouth instead of my mind. And he could hear what I was saying, so I thought it pointless to talk through my mind." Eragon garbled, and Arya raised an eyebrow, exasperated.

 _I was pushed out of your mind, Eragon._ Saphira told him.

 _Really? I didn't realize it , I thought you were both asleep . . . This was really odd! I didn't do it on purpose, Saphira, Arya, Valinor. I am sorry I disturbed all of you._ Eragon said, and Valinor growled drowsily and flopped back to the ground. Arya nodded and grabbed Eragon's hand, pulling him towards the blankets, while Saphira looked around at the surroundings.

 _Eragon, we will discuss this when we are fresh._ Saphira told him, and Eragon agreed.


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Beirland of trouble . . .**

"The Rider and dragon are gone! They have left!" A shout was moving around as Angrenost, Orothrimsson, the Prince of the Broddring Kingdom, reached the castle of Beirland after the long and tiring journey through the sea. The city was much better than Angrenost had expected. There weren't any more slums or huts, people were living in a healthy way with no problems whatsoever. But still, ever since he had entered the gates of the city from the North, he had a sense of foreboding that he wasn't welcome here.

The city was small, even though it was the link of trade for most of the cities from the North and from the South. It wasn't carefully planned and made, like Tierm or Carvahall. It was just a sprawled mess, with the castle enclosed citadel in the centre of the city. It was past lunch time.

Angrenost was wearing a red and blue tunic over green leggings, his sword belted to his left hip, but it was all covered under an obsidian colored, shimmering cloak.

"What's so . . . good about them leaving?" One of Angrenost's guards muttered. He had six guards with him, the Golden Sentinels, and they were all wearing their customary golden armor. Angrenost had been against taking them with him, they were one of the elite warriors of the Broddring Kingdom, but his father, Orothrim had insisted.

"I don't know, Maiher, but let's go in and talk to the Governor." Angrenost said, and Maiher saluted him.

The seven of them walked forward, past the guards at the doors of the castle, who were all wearing chain mail, and were eyeing the Golden Sentinels jealously. Angrenost kept walking down the corridor straight ahead which was lighted by many candles burning in their brackets. Its walls were a dull, green color. Angrenost kept a hand on the hilt of his sword, a suspicious feeling in his mind. There was something wrong here.

"Be alert . . . something is astray here." Angrenost told his guards, who immediately tensed.

They soon reached the end of the corridor, and they were in a well lit room which led to different corridors and passages throughout the castle to the right and to the left. Straight ahead of them was a courtyard, on the other side of which was the reception hall, where all the meetings were usually held and the Governor could mostly be found. Pillars lined the walls next to the door of the reception hall, and also to the walls of the courtyard.

 _The last time I came, there were paintings on these walls . . . Now they aren't there anymore._ Angrenost thought. The last time he had come, the walls of the castles had paintings of the war with Galbatorix where the Riders had finally emerged victorious. Now they were all removed, and the passages that they could see in all the directions were bare, grey stone.

"Something has changed here, Sire." One of his guards told him, and Angrenost nodded.

"I agree, something has changed, Ulrain. We might just as well find out what . . ."

They walked forwards, and the Sentinels held their weapons with tense muscles. Two of them bore swords, two of them had spears and the remaining two had hammers. Together, the six of them were a deadly team. Angrenost tightened his fingers around the leather hilt of his own sword, and looked around at the guards of the castle. The ones inside were wearing plain, leather armor, and had spears. At the present times, no one actually expected an attack.

The courtyard had nothing but grass and a few benches, and it was open to the skies. There were many brackets for candles, and here and there, fire places, to light the castle in the dark evenings and nights.

They reached the entrance to the reception hall, and the guards there opened the door to let them in. Angrenost entered the huge room, and looked around.

Black curtains draped the windows to the left and to the right, making the entire room seem dark. This room was as wide as the Throne room of Carvahall, it had pillars on either sides, a small fountain in between, and several benches for people to sit. Feasts were almost always held in this hall. Usually, it was well lit and well maintained, but this time the windows were covered with the dark curtains, and the only sources of light were a few candles which were lit here and there in the room.

Angrenost instinctively grabbed his sword with his right hand but he didn't draw it. His guards remained ready. The door behind them remained open though.

The fountain was quite remarkable, it showed two sculpted hands holding a lily, which was golden, and water sprouted from either sides of those hands, and fell to the floor of the fountain, from which it was sent back up through small pipes inside the hands, using magic.

 _There is a foul odor in the air . . . I can smell it._ Angrenost thought as he looked around.

"Sire, right ahead of us." One of the Sentinels said, and Angrenost gazed ahead, trying to see in the dark room.

Ahead of them stood a man in a white cloak, a bright sword on his waist. Angrenost stared at him intently, and the man seemed to be beckoning them to come closer.

"Let us get closer and find out who this is. Be on your guard, and keep your weapons at the ready." Angrenost muttered. The men around him drew their swords, readied their spears and hefted their hammers, though Angrenost didn't draw his own sword.

They walked closer to the man, who seemed to be grinning at them. As they passed the fountain, Angrenost looked around, and he could have sworn he saw a man hiding behind a pillar. He strained his eyes for a while, trying to find out if it was true. But then, he disregarded it, thinking it as his own imagination.

 _Father had warned me that this might be dangerous. I should have taken his advice seriously._ Angrenost thought, recalling what his father had said when he began to set forth for Narda with Nolfavrell from Carvahall.

"Welcome, Prince Angrenost Orothrimsson." The man said in an oily voice, betraying deceit. Angrenost kept his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Not much of a warm welcome, I must say . . . Who are you?" Angrenost asked him, and the man looked up. He was hooded, and because of the dark, it was difficult to recognize him.

"I am the Governor of this city, good Prince, my name is Yelwon Krothuensson. Do you not recall our last meeting?" He asked Angrenost in the same, awkward voice, and Angrenost understood that he was lying.

 _Does he really think he can fool me with that?_ Angrenost thought.

"I do recall, Yelwon, but you never wore a hood earlier . . . You are not Yelwon, you are someone else! Who are you? Answer me!" Angrenost shouted.

The man sneered, then unclasped his cloak and threw it aside. The man slowly raised his head and looked up at the seven of them, then a huge grin came to his face.

"I . . . am Freohr . . . Get them!" He shouted suddenly and pointed at Angrenost and his men. Instantly, there were sounds of metal clinking, swords being drawn and spears scraping against walls.

With a jolt of panic, fear and insuppressible energy, Angrenost drew his sword and looked around. A dozen men appeared from behind the pillars, and they were all wearing black armor, helms and had dark black swords, and seemed like normal men. The man in front of them was horrible to look at. He was a human, of that Angrenost was sure, but his blonde hair were shaggy and un-kept. He had a goatee, his skin was pale. His shoulders were quite wide, he was wearing light, grey robes, and he had a sword in a brown sheath, strapped to a black, thin belt.

"We can defeat them, men! We are far better trained, and far better skilled." One of the Sentinels muttered, but Angrenost knew there was more to these 'men' than met the eye. He knew that his death, or capture was approaching, but he couldn't die. His death would destroy his father, and through him, the Broddring Kingdom. He couldn't let that happen, so he decided to buy time.

"Well . . . since it seems we cannot win in any way possible, can we have a conversation first? It will be better to die knowing who killed you, and why he killed you . . . Aye?" Angrenost said in a low voice and stared at the man in front of him.

The man was silent for a while, then nodded at his own men. They stopped, but formed a circle around Angrenost and the others. They stared impassively at Angrenost and his men, and Angrenost knew that these men were not normal. They were different, different than himself, different than his men. They were changed by something, from something, into something else. That's all he could make out.

"Very well, Prince of the Broddring Kingdom, I will be just and true with you . . . I am a man." Freohr, if that was his name, said.

"I can see that, where are you from? What have you done to Beirland?" Angrenost asked as his guards made a circle around him, their backs pressing lightly against him.

"I . . . am from beyond. I am from beyond death, my friend. I cannot be killed by you." Freohr said, and Angrenost raised an eyebrow, but Freohr continued.

"As for what I have done to this city, I have conquered it, with ease. Then I have rid it of all those poor, their bodies and homes have been devoured by that huge whirlpool you people fear." Freohr told him impassively.

He can't be speaking the truth. This is impossible! He killed all those people, without us or the Riders getting a single hint of it? Angrenost thought, rage building up in him.

"And it was all easy . . . . And I needed you, but I couldn't capture you if the dragon and Rider were still here, so I had them leave. They are probably on their way to Doru Araeba right now. No one can help you my friend. The citizens have learnt their lesson that they are not to cross me. I myself killed dozens of those goats." Freohr said and laughed.

He couldn't help but shout, "You are lying!"

Freohr smirked, "Believe what you will, but Alagaesia is going to FALL!" Freohr said and pointed at Angrenost and the others, yelling, "Get the Prince!"

The men yelled and charged at the Sentinels, who roared and made a barrier between Angrenost and the other men. They stood with raised weapons as their opponents jumped back in surprise, but Angrenost knew this was the worst that could happen to them at that point.

"No, my friends, charge!" Angrenost shouted.

The Sentinels gave each other hesitant looks, then ran straight at their opponents. Angrenost himself charged at Freohr, who grinned.

Swords clashed shields, spears stabbed flesh and hammers were swung in a heated frenzy. Angrenost jabbed at the man's heart, but he parried the blow reflexively. Undeterred, Angrenost slashed down, but to his immense surprise Freohr grabbed the edge of the sword in his left hand then tugged it with astonishing strength, snatching it out of Angrenost's grip. Angrenost gaped at his hand, which didn't seem to be affected at all by the sharp sword. There wasn't even any blood trickling down his bare hand.

 _What is he . . . he isn't a human!_ Angrenost thought, and to his dismay, three of his guards had already fallen, and the remaining three were fighting on. Even as he looked around, two of them were slain with swords protruding from their backs, and the last one was goaded through the nose.

"So, Prince, is this all that your Kingdom has to offer? The seven of you were defeated in less than a minute." Freohr said as he began walking closer to Angrenost. He threw the sword at Angrenost's feet, and it sliced into the floor exactly in front of Angrenost's legs. Freohr stared at him and said, "Want to try again?"

Angrenost threw him a glare, then asked, "What are you? You aren't a human! None of you people are! What are you all?"

Freohr stared at him for a while, then as one, all thirteen of them began to laugh at his words. Their laugh was horrible to hear for the poor Prince, who had not expected any of this to happen in the least, but was now trapped and captured by . . . abominations. Their laughter made chills and shivers run down Angrenost's spine, it sounded like the cries of a dying hyena.

"They are all humans, not necessarily like you, but they all are humans . . . Me? I am something far greater. I am Death! Now pick up your sword and show me what a true Prince can do, Orothrimsson." Freohr shouted, while the other men retreated.

Angrenost picked his sword smoothly and held it to the side.

"How did you know I was coming?" Angrenost pressed and Freohr held his own sword ready.

Freohr grinned, it seemed he didn't mind disclosing things to Angrenost. It was not going to make much of a difference anyway.

"We have eyes and ears everywhere . . ." Freohr replied. Angrenost felt a sense of foreboding as Freohr's icy, blue eyes bored into his own brown ones.

But then, Angrenost ran forward, knowing that he had no chance of winning but determined to make a true impression of himself before being killed.

He slashed as hard as he could at Freohr's head, but the blow missed it by an inch because he ducked. Then Angrenost sliced at his shoulder, but his sword stopped suddenly. Angrenost gasped. His sword was being held in place by Freohr with just two fingers of his right hand.

Glowering, Angrenost pulled his sword back and began attacking ferociously, but Freohr dodged, blocked or parried each and every blow.

 _He doesn't have elven speed . . . but he is faster than most humans anyway. What is he?_ Angrenost thought as his sword was knocked aside by Freohr's.

"Pip pip, I expected more." Freohr said, then punched Angrenost straight in the face with his left hand before Angrenost realized what was happening.

The blow was so hard that Angrenost was knocked unconscious because of it. The Prince fell to the floor, and his sword clanged to the ground. Blood sprouted from the side of his good natured face.

Freohr stood over him, sneering, then he looked up, the battle ending in an abrupt way.

"Hide him, right now! The Rider and dragon will be here soon."


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: A Time of Promises, Pride and Resentment**

 _Loved one?_

 _Valinor?_

 _Aye, I am landing now so you can ease yourself a bit._ Valinor told Arya as she woke up and yawned.

Valinor and Saphira dived, the two enormous dragons had traversed leagues, and they were now less than a day away from Carvahall. But now it was night time, and currently, they were somewhere between the mountains of the Spine and Yazuac. They could see the enormous gate built at Utgard, which cut off the way for people to enter Palancar Valley by foot.

The grass was flattened as the strong winds from Valinor and Saphira's wings buffeted them down.

Saphira landed gently, and folded her wings, her tail moving from side to side. Valinor landed a little away from her, and was still as a statue, letting Arya climb down.

Arya smiled at Valinor, who licked her hand affectionately.

I am going to hunt, as usual, with Saphira. Valinor told her, and Arya rubbed his forehead with her hand.

 _Catch all the prey you want, and come back soon._

 _Of course, loved one._ Valinor told her, and looked at Saphira, who growled in response. Eragon was squatting and rummaging through the saddle bags for something.

Valinor and Saphira took off, and the wind ruffled Arya's free hair, making them blow around her. Eragon pulled out a black cloak from inside the saddlebag, just as Arya went and sat down near him, her hands crossed. It was quite cold.

A cloak wrapped around her, and she smiled at Eragon in thanks.

"Knew you were feeling cold, its impossible to mistake you nowadays." Eragon told her, and she pulled the cloak closer to keep her warm. She was in her leather shirt and leggings, while Eragon was wearing a white lamarae and night blue pants.

"I suppose I could say the same for you." Arya told him as he sat down next to her. She sidled into his arms, and he wrapped them around her, his face next to her own, their cheeks brushing each other.

"Eragon, did you notice the sudden change in Deaother's behavior?" Arya asked him after a while of silence, their bodies lending warmth to each other.

"I did . . . don't bother yourself with that, he was just a little shaken with the fact that he had killed someone, much like everyone else is when they kill for the first time . . . ." Eragon said calmly, and Arya looked up at him with a surprised expression.

"How can you say that so coolly? Are you happy that Deaother has taken a life, even though it may be of the Ra'zac?" Arya asked him incredulously, and Eragon jumped slightly at her words.

"No, of course not! I had wished that it would never come to Deaother having to fight as well . . . . But I knew it would be unavoidable. That is why I started training him when he was just fifteen. I wanted him to be ready for the war that is undoubtedly going to come." Eragon said, then he tightened his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"Did you really think I would be such an irresponsible father?" Eragon asked her, and she shook her head.

"Of course not, I was just surprised at the way you said it . . . I still have to give you a payback for hiding the truth from me all these years." Arya said, and Eragon's hands loosened around her for a while, then tightened even more.

"Is there really any need to do that?" Eragon asked her hurriedly.

Arya grinned, but turned away from him so that her hair whipped his face. He gave a muffled groan, then pressed his forehead to the back of her neck.

 _Aye, there is need, Lead Rider._ Arya told him in his mind, and she sensed panic in him as his head snapped up.  
 _  
Arya!_

 _Oh, alright fine then_. . . I- Arya began to say but Eragon cut her off by turning her face and kissing her as passionately as he could. At the same moment, he entered her mind and melded his being with hers, so that they could feel each others feelings, emotions, everything, as their own.

Arya kissed him back with just as much love and passion, forgetting what she had decided as punishment for Eragon. After a few seconds, they began to get confused as to who was kissing whose lips. Eragon felt that he was kissing his own lips, and Arya felt that she was kissing Eragon's lips as well. After some more seconds, they both felt as if they were kissing Arya's lips. This shift balance was formed as either of them became more dominant in their mental convergence.

They separated after a while, physically and mentally, and Eragon stared into Arya's eyes, his brown eyes extremely deep, and glimmering with power. Arya's eyes were the same, but not as deep as Eragon's and were green in color.

 _I have had enough punishments in my life, Arya. Even if they were decades and decades ago, I wish not to suffer anymore. I just wish to have peace, no matter what . . . It is up to me, you and all the other Riders to ensure that peace shall remain._ Eragon said. Arya nodded grimly, still lost in his eyes.

 _And we will keep it, my love._ Arya replied.

 _I hope so . . . I want you to promise me something, Arya . . ._ Eragon said after a few seconds.

 _What is it?_ Arya replied, still lost in his eyes.

 _Promise me that whatever may happen, whenever it may happen, you will go to Deaother and stay with him, irrespective of me being with you or not. Even if I am dead, you will go to Deaother first, am I understood?_ Eragon asked.

Arya was about to consent, but she returned to her senses as a cricket hopped onto her palm. She felt its little body tickle her palm, as the insect explored her hand, and she looked down from Eragon's eyes. The insect was brown in color, and seemed more like a cockroach in the dark, and it chirped in dismay as it fell off Arya's finger to the soft grass below.

Then, just as the cricket fell to the ground, it dawned upon Arya what Eragon was asking her to promise. He was asking her to leave him and go to Deaother, so that their son would protect her. Arya stared at the ground, while Eragon waited patiently for her to answer.

Arya slid out of his embrace slightly and kept staring at the cricket as it began to crawl away. If she did accept, she would have to leave Eragon, maybe to die. She couldn't bear the prospect, it was too much for her, and she turned around to face him, staring straight into his eyes.

 _I am sorry Eragon, but I can't promise that . . . I love you too much, just too much. I can't leave you alone now. You are my mate, and you shall remain my mate till my death . . . I can't leave you Eragon._ Arya told him, emphasizing those words , and she noted how Eragon's eyes drooped before he bowed his head.

 _Arya, Deaother-_ Eragon began, but Arya cut him off.

 _Can take care of himself, that's what you have always told me. And, now I believe you . . . He is with the elves, he is safe. It is you who is going to need me, and I shall be with you, even if we are facing death itself._ Arya promised him, holding his hand tightly in her own.

Eragon looked up, Arya was still partially in his embrace, then he turned away again.

 _You are still as stubborn as you used to be._ Eragon told her, and Arya raised her eyebrows. _But, that is perhaps why I love you so much._ Eragon continued, making Arya smile.

 _And you are still the naïve, young fool who once lusted for me . . . and I love the same fool, though he is old now._ Arya said, and Eragon's jaw dropped open.

 _Old am I? Wait till Saphira hears of this . . ._ Eragon joked, just as they heard a roar from the east.

Arya laughed, and they lay down on the grass. She relaxed completely next to him, feeling secure from the rest of the world.

 _I hope things remain this way, and not change too much . . ._ Arya thought to herself.

"Arya . . . I heard a voice in my head earlier today as well, when I woke up." Eragon told her after a while of silence, and Arya looked up at him, a little worried.

"What did it say?"

"It was asking me to come to it, it was a male voice, I am sure, but it kept on saying that it was what I am, and that I must go to it . . . The more I think on it, the more I think I must obey, I mean, it feels almost the same as what happened to me when Durza died and Oromis reached out to my mind. It feels almost exactly the same, though I can't sense that person's consciousness." Eragon said, and Arya looked up.

"What do you think you should do?" Arya asked him.

"I think I should wait till I learn more." Eragon answered, much to Arya's agreement.

They were silent after that, resting, and staring up at the stars.

People didn't know about the Prince, not many knew about the dead Rider named Anurin, but those who did knew in their hearts that now the past was going to return in Alagaesia.

The never-same-shape-white-spots-moon smiled down upon them as Saphira flew on eastward, towards the Ninor River, where herds of deer were sure to be present, drinking water.

 _Saphira, there is something I wanted to ask you._ Valinor told her as they flapped on towards River.

 _What is it, Valinor?_ Saphira asked him. She liked Valinor, she had accepted him as a brother, and he had accepted her as a sister, and they loved each other in the same way. Sometimes, when Saphira would get fed up over something, or over Thorn and Eragon together, Valinor would help her, and Draumr as well. She did the same for the green dragon.

 _Are you angry at Eragon, for separating you and Thorn?_ Valinor asked her. They could see the river straight ahead, reflecting the light of the stars and the sun.

 _Not overmuch, but yes . . . He is just that way, he does things that tend to be right, no matter what, and I am sure that it was for the best that I and Thorn got separated._ Saphira replied truthfully, though Valinor could sense deep resentment in her towards her Rider for deciding to make her go away from Thorn.

 _That is good, I thought you were furious._ Valinor explained.

 _Are you?_ Saphira asked him.

 _No, I am not; I am more worried about Deaother, because of Arya. She worries about him day and night, its rather annoying._ Valinor said.

Saphira growled and dived, searching the land under them.

Saphira, I think there is a group of them over there. Valinor said and pointed at them with his snout. Sure enough, there was a herd of deer, drinking from the river water.

 _Right, lets have the meal, then we can return._ Saphira said.

Valinor agreed, and the next half an hour was spent in diving at the animals, grappling half a dozen of them, and devouring them. It was quick work, Saphira and Valinor ate two does and a buck each, and were soon grinning at each other, pleased with the supper.

Valinor dived into the river to clean himself, the blood and flesh of the animals was still sticking to his jaws, neck, and some of his scales. Saphira was much the same, and she dived in after him. They swam downstream for a while, towards Yazuac.

 _There is one thing I always wanted to ask you, Saphira, but my nerve always failed me._ Valinor told her, and Saphira turned and looked at him, the water they were in just pushed them further, though the speed would seem gentle to a dragon, it would be fast to all the other beings.

 _You have many questions, Valinor._ Saphira said, amused, and laughed when Valinor bowed his head in mock embarrassment.

 _That I do . . . . What does it feel like, to know that you are the mother of the new race of the dragons? And that only I and Thorn and the dragons who are not directly related to you?_ Valinor asked her, and Saphira grinned slightly.

 _I can understand why you didn't ask this earlier, your nerve failed because of Draumr, not because of me. I am sure she would be quite pleasant when she hears that you asked me this._ Saphira told him, and Valinor's eyes widened. Valinor was too soft when it came to matters of Arya and Draumr, much softer than Saphira was.

Saphira laughed, but assured him, _I won't. . . Still, it feels great to see all the dragons, knowing that they are all mine descendants, however indirect._ Saphira told him, and he nodded. I never actually thought that the wild dragons would be so numerous, but since you and Draumr were also there, the dragon population returned at a much faster rate than I anticipated. Saphira continued, and Valinor smiled, in the dragon way.

 _I love Draumr, Saphira, and I know she is your daughter. What did it feel like when I mated her?_ Valinor pressed, and Saphira was strongly reminded of how he had been as a hatchling.

 _Ah, you are behaving just like you used to when you were a hatchling, always asking questions that I found, still find, truly difficult to answer . . . I felt happy for you the most when you mated Draumr, because I knew you were lonely and sad then. You changed a lot when you and Draumr mated, and things are all the more better because of it. Saphira answered him. But you have some nerve to ask the mother of your mate whether she is happy you love and mated her daughter._

Valinor laughed at this, and Saphira did the same.

The dragons kept swimming for a while, as their Rider rested and relaxed. This was their world, of happiness for now. But neither of the dragons or the Riders knew of the danger in the south, or of the capture of the Prince.

In the far west, an elf grew tensed, knowing his hopes were faltering once more.


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: In Galfni**

 _Things are not at all good this way._ Eridor said, and Elva looked at him.

They were in the main halls of the castle in the city of Galfni, and they were with Ephian and Jiarha. The halls were high enough for the dragons to fly around for a couple of minutes, wide enough for about a dozen of them and quite long. There were no windows, and the entire hall was lit by werelights of different colors.

Several doors to the left and right led outside the halls, either into other halls or to the city outside.

Eridor clawed the ground apprehensively, rather impatient. He hated being in enclosed places like a room. The only way out for him and Jiarha was the gate right behind them.

 _What's wrong Eridor?_ Elva asked him concernedly, and Eridor turned his head to her. Out of the corner of her eye, Elva saw Jiarha behaving in a similar way.

 _The dwarves here, they hate us dragons and Riders, its quite obvious . . . I just want us to get out of here as soon as possible._ Eridor told Elva, who looked around. She couldn't see any Grimstborith there, nor could she see any dwarf.

"Something is not right, why isn't he here yet?" Ephian asked, coming to stand ahead of the rest of them.

"Who?" Elva asled him.

"The Grimstborith . . ." Ephian replied, "He is probably on his way now."

They waited in silence for some more time, the dragons quite tensed, Ephian as calm as ever and Elva a little nervous.

"Ah, that must be him." Ephian said and pointed, while Elva followed his gaze.

The doors ahead of them opened, and a dozen dwarves came in. Ten of them seemed like ordinary guards, wearing a normal leather armor, and simple tunics of different colors. They wielded double edged axes made of iron. The remaining two dwarves were dressed much more royally, in robes of turquoise and sweeping cadet blue. One of them wore a helm. All of the dwarves were veiled with purple cloth.

"Greeting, dragons and Riders." The person in the cadet robes said. The other dwarf seemed much more authority demanding and richer than this one.

"Greetings, Grimstborith Larouf, I am Ephian, Rider of Jiarha, and this is Elva, Rider of Eridor." Ephian said, and the dwarf wearing the helm nodded and whispered something to the dwarf in cadet in robes. He spoke in dwarvish language.

"The Grimstborith wishes you a pleasant stay in Galfni, but requests that you stay in this very room which will be protected by dwarves, so that the outsiders shall not disturb you. That is all, and I wish you luck for your mission." The cadet robed dwarf, who was obviously a translator, said.

Ephian nodded again, and the dwarves turned and left the room, closing the door loudly.

"There is something very peculiar about those dwarves. Though, of course, they don't like us, I can't believe that the dwarves here want to kill the four of us." Ephian told her.

"They might want to, but if they do then the other dwarf clans, and the Riders will defeat and destroy them. They'd dare not attack us at the moment." Elva said.

It had been because of this hostility of the Az Sweldn rak Anhûin that no Riders and dragons were situated at Galfni. Riders and dragons rarely came to the city.

"So, I think we should head for that opening in the mountain that we found, but we can stay here for a while . . ." Ephian told them.

 _I think we should hurry up with this mission, the sooner we get out of here the better. This place itches my neck, and makes me wish that we were back in Farthen Dur._ Eridor said.

 _I feel much the same, there so much hate garnering towards us here._ Elva replied.

They spent the rest few hours just sitting and talking, and Ephian told her how as a child, his father had taught him how to use different weapons for battle. He told her that he could use almost any weapon to fight. Elva told him how her childhood had been painful, how she had felt the pain of others. Ephian eyes betrayed his evident surprise at how Eragon had tried to undo the curse, now that Elva told him everything in detail. Though, she ended the narration when it came to the hatching of Eridor, eighty-seven years ago.

"And since then . . . I haven't felt the curse in myself, so I think it is safe to assume that it has been removed for good." Elva told him with a small smile. Ephian returned the smile, and there was silence for a while, then Ephian stood and drew his black sword.

"I remember you telling me that you can defeat me at sparring. Let us see if that is true then, shall we?" Ephian asked her.

Elva grinned and nodded, while Jiarha and Eridor retreated, giving their Riders as much space as was required.

 _Jiarha, I bet Elva will win this!_ Eridor told the black dragoness, who growled slightly.

 _Don't be so sure, I bet that Ephian will win!_ Jiarha told him confidently. In the centre of the room, both the Riders laughed.

 _The dragon who wins the bet has to hunt for both, for a week._ Ephian put in, and Jiarha and Eridor stared at him for a while.

 _Agreed!_ Eridor said, and Jiarha also agreed after a couple of seconds.

Ephian and Elva dulled their blades and stood ahead of each other, staring into the eyes of their opponent. Elva was crouched with Nuanen held lightly in her right hand. Ahead of her, Ephian was also half crouched, though he was holding Edoc'sil tightly with both hands. Elva relied more on speed and quick strokes to fight, rather direct, brute strength. She was nimble, so she could dodge attacks easily, and also fight much faster than most humans. Though, of course, she was no match for the elves, unless she used the spell that gave her superior strength and speed, and used energy from another source, preferably the sapphire in her sword.

Ephian nodded and charged, swinging the sword towards Elva's shoulder. Elva ducked under the blow and retaliated with a much faster jab, which was parried by Ephian. Edoc'sil then turned and sped towards Elva's arm, but she jumped away, dodging the blade. Then, Nuanen sliced through the air and struck Ephian on his shoulder, making wince in a little pain and surprise.

"Not bad, you are fast." Ephian told her, then charged again, swinging his sword as fast as he could, but the blow was blocked by Elva. But she knew that there was no way she would be able to hold on against Ephian's strength, so she hurriedly jumped aside, knocking Edoc'sil away.

"You are quite good as well." Elva told him, and Ephian grinned.

 _A little help is in for you, my Rider._ Eridor said, and in a split second, Elva realized what he was planning. In the next second, before she could stop him, Eridor roared as loudly as he could, his voice reverberating around the room. The doors could be seen vibrating at the force of his roar, and the ground seemed to be trembling.

At that instant, Ephian charged, ignoring Eridor's roar. Jiarha smacked the blue dragon on his back with her tail, making him quiet down, then laugh whole heartedly.

Elva dodged Ephian again as he swung Edoc'sil at her neck, and she immediately jabbed at his waist. Ephian bent to the side, and Nuanen just scratched him slightly. Elva scowled and pulled her sword back in time to block Ephian's sword, who got a triumphant look on his face.

 _Oh no . . ._ Elva thought, and Eridor and Jiarha stared at them in anticipation.

 _No, Elva, don't lose to him!_ Eridor growled.

The edges of Edoc'sil and Nuanen met in a shower of sparks, and remained in contact as Ephian pushed his sword ahead, and it was diagonal, while Elva held Nuanen in a horizontal way. Because of this, Elva didn't have a choice but to let Ephian have his way now, because if she moved her sword in any way, then Edoc'sil would directly swing forwards and injure her severely.

 _What a stupid mess to get into._ Elva thought, and Eridor laughed.

 _What's so funny? If I lose you have to hunt for Jiarha as well as yourself._ Elva told him angrily.

 _That doesn't matter to me, it's the fact that you were stupid enough to fall into the situation you are in._ Eridor said, and laughed again. Elva wished she could glare at him, but Ephian was blocking her view of the dragons. As it was, Ephian was slowly making Elva step back, he was pushing her sword back.

"So, Elva, it looks like you are in a fix now." Ephian said, a rather annoying grin on his face. Elva threw him a glare, which somewhat made his grin falter.

"We will see about that, Ephian!" Elva said, then ducked and pushed her sword straight, making the tip of Nuanen twirl around Edoc'sil's.

The result was that Nuanen hit Ephian on the shoulder again and Edoc'sil was batted to the ground.

Ephian stared at Elva in amazement as she stood up again, a wide smile on her face.

 _That was good, Elva! You can beat him, and get me a week of free prey!_ Eridor encouraged her.

 _Thank you, my good dragon._ Elva replied and charged again. She was faster than Ephian, and she was going to use that fact to its complete advantage.

 _Or disadvantage for Ephian._ Elva thought and ducked again as Ephian tried to rap her arm. The black sword passed harmlessly over her. As soon as the sword passed from over her head, Elva kneeled, and spun around, giving Ephian a spinning kick. Ephian, it seemed, had not expected this in the least because he gave a groan of pain and fell to the ground, on his back. His sword fell from his hand and landed a few feet away.

 _Look who is in a fix now!_ Eridor said to all of them, and Jiarha growled at him, annoyed that he was teasing her Rider.

Elva stood up immediately, and Ephian tried to get up and reach his sword as well, but Elva quickly placed Nuanen on his neck, making him look at it in surprise. Edoc'sil was lying inches away from his outstretched fingers.

"So . . . Ephian, it seems I have conquered your unconquerable sword. Wouldn't you agree?" Elva asked him in a sweet and delicate voice. Ephian raised an eyebrow, then slowly, a smile came to his face.

"I would agree, Elva, you are the first one to defeat me in sparring . . . though, of course, this is the first time I have sparred a woman." Ephian told her, and Elva laughed, the sound a bliss of happiness for Ephian as long as it lasted.

"So, you underestimated me? Not all women are weaklings to be pushed down by men." Elva told Ephian, who got up warily.

"I can see that, because it is the other way with of us." Ephian told her. "You are the one who is pushing me down . . ." Ephian finished, and Elva almost laughed, except for something that happened quite unexpectedly.

This was one of the most peculiar moments for her, which she couldn't understand at all. She blushed, instead of laughing, and blushed so deeply that she had to turn away to hide it, but Jiarha and Eridor did notice it.

 _Elva?_ Eridor asked, then explored her mind even more thoroughly, and recognized the emotions of love, longing and hope. But he smoothly drove them away, knowing that Elva would not want to be such a type of situation, and replaced it with a calm feeling. In itself, Elva's skin returned to its normal condition after a few minutes, but she didn't know that Ephian had gone through the same experience right behind her. He had felt that he had angered her by saying those words.

 _What just happened to me?_ Elva asked Eridor, who chuckled slowly. Jiarha was grinning, and Ephian grunted for some reason.

 _You were shy, nothing else. You took what he said in the wrong sense . . . I think he likes you, Elva, you should ask him._ Eridor told her, and she immediately rejected the idea.

 _No Eridor! Not now . . . wait till this mission is done, after that . . ._ Elva told him. In truth, she had no idea how she would be able to confess her feelings to him, nor did she think he would accept her. She was scared of that fact, whether he would accept her or not.

 _I don't even know if I love him, maybe this is just a little attraction, to get over?_ Elva asked Eridor.

 _No Elva . . . I don't know what this is either, only time will tell._ Eridor said, and Elva agreed wholeheartedly. Ephian walked over to Jiarha, nodding at Elva. Elva smiled to herself and walked off towards Eridor, still deep in her thoughts.

But all of them underestimated the danger that they were in. None of them knew the depth of the pool they were stepping into. If it was too deep for them, they were going to drown. Add a serpent into the pool, and death is almost certain for them.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Enter the Caves

Ephian and Elva stood at the door of the hall they were quartered in. Behind them were their dragons, staring at their Riders apprehensively.

They had spent the last few days in that hall, planning on what they had to do. It had been quite complicated, because the tunnels that they had to enter were rather small, so the dragons could not come with them through the entrance they planned to take. Jiarha and Eridor had been extremely frustrated at the fact that they could not enter the caves along with their Riders. It had been a tough and rather distressing decision that Elva and Ephian would enter the caves by themselves, while the dragons stayed outside and looked for another way in.

Ephian and Elva were planning the secret entrance they had accidentally discovered when Trellony had spotted a man down the cliff, and Elva and Ephian had gone down there to investigate. But, that way was too small for the dragons, they would have to find another way in if they intended to help their Riders, which they did.

As it was, Ephian _had_ found a way for the dragons to enter the caves, it was a huge gate that had been constructed while the tunnels were being worked upon by the dwarves decades ago. The only problem was that this entrance was on the northwestern side of the mountain, while Elva and Ephian were going to enter from the south-eastern side. They had to be secretive at their best, and if the dragons were spotted while entering, then rebels would probably assume that the Riders were with them, rather than being, on the opposite side of the mountain.

Jiarha had insisted that Elva and Ephian take a few dwarves with them, to protect them, but Ephian had disagreed. Elva and Eridor had retreated to the side while the senior dragon and Rider had argued for over an hour. Ephian had won the furious debate, and Jiarha had recognized the truth in his words. Most of the dwarves in Galfni were hostile to dragons and Riders. They were more liable to slip a sword through Ephian's heart than they were to protect them.

Now, Elva and Ephian stood side by side, staring at the mountain in anticipation. This was their first dangerous mission, which had the risk of death, and they were not embarking on it lightly. Quite the opposite. In fact, this was one of the only few dangerous missions that had taken place in the last century, and the first in which the lead Rider, or anyone from the council was not involved.

 _I think its about time we stopped gawking at the mountain and actually went there._ Eridor suggested.

 _I suppose you are right, we should go . . ._ Elva said, then left Ephian's side and began to walk towards the blue dragon. Ephian also turned and walked towards Jiarha.

In a couple of minutes, both the dragons had taken off and were soaring though the skies towards the mountain where their mission lay. It was the same as all the other mountains surrounding Galfni, there was nothing different to it, but even then, Elva knew that there were rebels hiding inside it and that they had to find them and capture them if possible. If not, then they had to kill them.

 _Be careful, Elva, and be with Ephian. He will keep you safe._ Eridor told her, and Elva hugged him lightly. She could sense envy in him, and she smiled to herself.

 _No one can keep me safer than you can, Eridor, and that's the truth._ Elva told him, and the blue dragon growled happily.

The dragons soared northward, and soon, Elva could see the cliff where the earthquake had taken place and Ephian had saved her from getting crushed by Eridor. The dragons dived then, and swooped above the deodar trees, and landed in a clearing just large enough for them.

 _I will say again, be careful._ Eridor said, and Elva nodded.

 _I will be . . . See you soon._ Elva told him as she got off.

Ephian stood there, next to Jiarha. She was nuzzling his face, and he was scratching her neck caringly. Elva watched them as the black dragoness roared and took to the air again, and she was followed by Eridor.

 _All the best . . ._ Eridor said. He and Elva had hardly been separated before this, so it was a rather uncomfortable time for the both of them.

 _To you as well._ Elva said and watched as the dragons flew off to the right, away from them.

One would expect the dragon and Riders to spend more time with each other at the parting moment, but Eridor had quite a positive approach.

 _We are not going to each other's funerals, don't get so emotional!_ He had told her, and she had quite agreed. There was no point in mourning something that was not going to end up in tragedy.

Now, Elva and Ephian stared at each other. Ephian had a pack in his hands, which contained armor for the both of them.

"Well . . . that's that, we are in for it now . . . I am not going to pester you with advices except one. Stay with me, whatever happens. If we are together, the better it is for us, and worse for our enemies." Ephian told her, and flopped to the ground, opening the pack.

"Of course, Ephian, as you say." Elva told him with a smile, and she got an amused look as a reply from him.

"You know . . . you are the first Ranger who is so informal with me. All the other Rangers, junior and moderate, treat me with a lot of respect." Ephian told her.

Elva raised an eyebrow, and Ephian hurriedly said, "Not that it's a bad thing, I don't want you to be formal with me either, I just thought you should know that."

Elva nodded, "I understand, Senior Ranger, I am just a Ranger here, you are two ranks above me, I should treat you with the respect your post demands." She grinned at him, and he frowned.

"No, no, don't." Ephian said, then stood up, and gestured at the ground. He had spread the empty pack on the ground, and had arranged both their armors on it, ranging from the hauberk, to the greaves, to the gauntlets. Both their armors were similar, and of dwarf make, and they were both finely made.

"Gifts from King Orik, I knew we'd need this for our mission. It is so dangerous . . .This might slow us down, but it will help us a lot." Ephian said.

"It's quite good, and I am sure we will need it before it all ends." Elva agreed.

They spent the next few minutes pulling on the armor and Elva had a rather annoying problem with the greaves, she was unable to buckle them because she was unable to see the back of her legs. She twisted around to see the problem, and craned her neck a little more to the side.

 _Ouch!_

A feeling of great unease coursed through the back and side of her neck. She had cricked it.

 _Drat this!_ Elva thought as she straightened up and her neck ached.

A little away, Ephian had generally no problem with pulling on his own greaves since his hands were longer, but he was unable to tighten the cords of the leather overall on his collar and the back of his neck.

They both continued to try and get their problems solved for some more time. Elva knelt on one knee and tried to fasten the greaves on her other leg, while Ephian scrabbled with the cords on his back. After a while, they both hesitantly turned to each other, accepting the fact that they would have to ask each other for help.

Ephian was the first to speak, "What's wrong Elva?"

Elva looked at him, her cheeks beginning to burn slightly, then said, "I can't get my greaves on, those buckles are rather complicated and I can't see them properly since they are on the inside of the greaves . . . Can you, please, help me with them?" Elva asked him sweetly, and Ephian smiled at her. Her cheeks began to flush even more, and she looked down at her own feet.

"Sure, no problem. Just sit down, and keep your legs outstretched." Ephian said, and Elva did as she was told. She sat down on the ground, with her legs outstretched ahead of her, and Ephian knelt next to her feet, eyeing her greaves.

Elva couldn't help but feel rather embarrassed and elated at the same time, since Ephian was fixing her greaves for her, and that he had got over his pride of being a Senior Ranger.

"No surprise you couldn't attach them, your greaves are of a different design than mine." Ephian said, and his fingers dug behind the plates of the greave, into the leather, and fastened the buckles around her lower leg and ankle. He did the same to her other leg, and he had a pleasant smile on his face as if he was happy with what he was doing.

"Thank you, Ephian." Elva said gratefully as he stood up.

"It was . . . . It was my pleasure." Ephian said after a little hesitance which Elva didn't notice, and she nearly blushed again, but not quite until Ephian began speaking once more.

"Elva, now I need your help." Ephian continued, and Elva looked up, but not into his eyes. "I can't get the cords on my collar and on my back. Can you tighten them?"

Elva stared at him for a while, then looked at the cords on his chest. "Sure, just stand still." Elva told him after a minute and they both stood up.

Ephian was quite tall, about four inches taller than her anyway, and she had to rise up on tip-toe to be able to look at his collar properly. One of the cords and looped over a ring in the mail, and that was why Ephian had been unable to pull it. Elva smiled and pulled the cord out, then tightened both the cords and tied them in a double knot.

Then she walked over to stare at his back, and stood on tiptoe again. The cords on the base of his neck were short, and it would have been impossible for Ephian to pull them without looking at them. Elva stared at them for a while, still elated at what she was doing for Ephian, then grabbed both the cords and pulled them as hard as she could.

"Ouch, Elva! Not so tight!" Ephian muttered, and Elva loosened the cords, then tied them in a double knot after a struggle that took a couple of minutes. Finally, the leather overall was comfortably tight around the chain mail.

"Well . . . thank you, Elva." Ephian told her as she came in front of him.

"It was my pleasure this time." Elva said, and Ephian chuckled.

They crept up to the entrance of the caves, keeping to the cover of the leaves and trees. The entrance was the same as they had noticed a few days ago, magically covered. Ephian had grinned when Elva had asked him how they could get past the magical barrier.

"Its not a magical barrier, its just as illusion. We can probably walk right through." Ephian had said.

Now, they slowly crept towards it, continuously staring at the door to ensure that they would not get caught. There was always a risk of them getting caught by one of those rebel spell casters if they were to walk right out.

Ephian and Elva came out of the cover of the trees and sprinted, their feet making loud thumps on the ground as they strode towards the door. Their armor clinked and clanked as well, but the sound was very less, but they ran into the bare wall.

Elva closed her eyes as they ran through the door, she could almost feel the illusion in front of her like a sheet of cold water. They passed through it harmlessly, just as Ephian had said they would, and they both ended up inside the cave, which was . . .

 _Dark!_ Elva thought, frustrated.

All about them was pitch black, it was impossible for them to see anything in the dark. Elva could hardly seen anything around her. She could faintly make out her own body and sword, as that of Ephian's. As she looked around in the dark, fear slowly began to worm into her mind; she didn't know where she was, she didn't know the way ahead. She could either quit, and exit the way she had come, or stay and trust Ephian to do what was right.

She jumped and looked around sharply as a hand came to her shoulder, her sword instinctively raised to the neck of the person. But she relaxed when she realized it was just Ephian, who had both his eyebrows raised when the sword had reached his collarbone.

"You are quite fast . . . Allright, Stay with me, whatever happens, don't leave my side." Ephian whispered, and Elva lowered her sword.

"Sure, Ephian." Elva replied. She stared at where she thought his face was, and suddenly a white werelight popped into existence. Elva knew that it was Ephian who had done it, so she didn't jump this time. But she stared straight at the man in front of her, right into his black eyes.

 _I have the choice of staying and trusting him with my life . . . or quitting._ Elva thought. Ephian stared at her for a while, and she stared back, until the revelation dawned upon her.

 _I am with him because I trust him, I am with him so that I can help him . . . no backing out now, I am going to be with him till the end of this mission, and even after it . . . Its because I trust him . . . Its because I . . . love him?_ Elva thought suddenly, tearing her gaze from Ephian's.

 _It can't be . . . Can't it be?_ Elva thought. She had always wished to have a man whom she could love, whom she could spend the rest of her life with. In the past eighty or so years, she had not found anyone, but now she had. Now, She had Ephian, a man whom she could truly love. Then why should she hesitate now?

 _No . . . yes! I do love him! I love him!_ Elva realized in a split second. As she revealed her own feelings to herself, she felt great. She felt happiness as never before, because she loved Ephian. She loved him, and she knew that her love for him would make a huge difference what lay in their ahead. Her fate had been altered by this single fact, she loved him, and was ready to be with him to whatever end.

"Elva, why are you so tensed? . . . I know this is your first mission, but . . . Don't worry, okay? I am with you, and you are with me, we have each other and we are in this together." Ephian told her.

His hand, that was on her shoulder, slowly inched down the length of her own hand and grasped her cold fingers in his warm ones, gently sliding about them. Elva looked up at him, and his eyes showed how much he cared for her, how much he . . .

 _Loves me? . . . No, I shouldn't jump to conclusions._ Elva thought, but kept staring at him as he grasped her hand more tightly.

"Elva, I promise you . . . I promise you that I will protect as best as I can, and always be with you . . . You are my friend, and I like you a lot, it would be unfaithful and a betrayal on my part to not leave you." Ephian said, and smiled reassuringly at her.

Elva was dumbstruck at his words, and she only had the sense to nod. Ephian's fingers tightened around hers, and she returned to the present.

As the Riders progressed, the shadow waited in the darkness, knowing that the two Riders were coming. Knowing that he would have to deal with them as fast as possible.

But unlike before, there was an alternative to death this time, and that was what he was going to take.


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Stumbling down**

"Carefully, Elva." Ephian said. "There is a wide hole over there."

They were still in the caves; several hours had passed since they had entered but they had been continuously moving through Mani's caves. Their objective was to find the dream well, and also to find the rebels. When they did find them, they would tell the dragons of their location and wait for them to come, after which they would attack those rebels full on. With two grown dragons, those few dozen men would not be a problem at all.

But Ephian was still tensed as to their nature. Those rebels would never have taken this mountain as a refuge if they had been as weak as they proposed to be. Ephian knew something was amiss, and he grew surer that there truly was a Shade with them. But with no Jiarha around to think along with him, he was forced to make an assumption on his own.

As it was, Elva was holding his hand tightly, she was having a really tough time walking on the cave floor, and kept stumbling around. Just a while ago, she had fallen directly onto Ephian, and since then, Ephian had been holding her hand tightly to stop her from falling again. It was quite a funny situation for the both of them, and they would have laughed had their surroundings not been so eerie.

"Right, I will walk around it . . . shall I?" Elva asked him hesitantly, and they both stopped in front of the large, round gap in the cave floor. Its depth was incomprehensible, it was too deep, and its circumference reached the walls of the cave. Looking down at it gave Ephian a foreboding. It seemed to do more to Elva, she slowly retreated back a bit.

"Elva?" Ephian asked, and looked back at her.

She was still holding his hand tightly, and placed her other hand on his shoulder, standing behind him.

"I don't do well with such depthless holes . . . I am scared of them, in my childhood I constantly felt as if I was falling down one . . ." Elva told him in a low voice, and Ephian fought the impulses to grin and curse. Elva seemed to have a problem at every turn.

"Nothing is going to happen, just hold on to me as tightly as you can. And for both our sakes, don't panic. You'll get us both into big trouble if that happens." Ephian told her. He retreated a bit back as well.

"But . . . we will use magic to cross it. That's the safest way!" Elva said, and Ephian couldn't help himself. He snorted.

"What?" Elva asked, a little annoyed at his reaction.

"Safer? You can do that then, but I am going to climb to the other side. What's life without a little risk?" Ephian asked her, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Life is good without unnecessary risks, Ephian, you should know that." Elva told him, sounding rather strict all of a sudden.

"You sound like Jiarha . . . Even she doesn't let me do dangerous things." Ephian told her a little sorely, and he raised an eyebrow as she smiled.

"She does the right thing then . . . Ephian, let's just use magic and not take such risks. You should not be reckless!" Elva told him, and he scowled.

"Not you too! Elva, its fun to do something dangerous sometimes." Ephian said, then turned around and made to climb down the edge of the hole so that he could shimmy across and end up on the other side.

But a hand grasped his shoulder, and though it didn't hold him tightly, its delicate touch compelled him to turn around and look at Elva, who had a worried expression now.

"Ephian, please, don't be a fool. Let us just float across this, and we will be fine . . . Please, for me." Elva told him, and he jumped slightly.

"Oh . . . alright, I won't do that, but you should not be so protective. I am careful as well when I do such things." Ephian told her disappointedly, though he didn't want to anger her anyway.

Elva nodded slightly, then gave him a small smile. Ephian stared at her, and turned away, looking at the other side of the hole.

 _I can't believe we were actually arguing over some hole in the floor!_ Ephian thought, amused.

They crept further, slowly going deeper and deeper into the mountain. The cave they were in remained the same, and it was going to remain the same for a little while more. Ephian and Elva were walking briskly, Ephian in the lead. Elva held his hand for support as she would stumble on the rocky and slippery floor every few minutes. Ephian was grinning.

 _We are supposed to take this mission seriously, and here we are, enjoying ourselves as we walk towards the danger . . . This isn't right, but I am not complaining._ Ephian thought, then suddenly realized where his own thread of his own thoughts were going.

He had never been so attached to anyone before, had never been so comfortable around or enjoyed himself around someone before, other than Jiarha and Murtagh to some extent. He realized that over the course of the past few weeks, he had grown closer and closer to Elva, had enjoyed just talking to her, or staring at her as she talked to him. He and Jiarha would discuss these feelings Ephian had rather late into the night, and Jiarha seemed to be sure that Ephian loved Elva. Ephian had agreed after a particularly heated argument with his dragon. The only thing that bothered him now was whether she loved him.

As he thought, memories flashed across his mind, him standing in a courtyard, with his hands wrapped protectively around two small girls, A soldier trying to behead him, but getting killed by a dagger from behind, him stooping and grabbing the broadsword and killing the men ahead of him.

He could hear the yells of pain from the men, and the screams of those girls as they ran away at the sight of the blood. Bile rose in his throat, and he hurriedly tried to put those memories and feelings aside. He didn't have Jiarha with him now to distract him, and the knowledge that he was going to be killing men once more now was rather daunting to him.

 _Death . . . cannot be evaded. It will eventually find us, and put us to the never ending slumber. Though, being immortal has its advantages. Death waits, and it doesn't have much power over you._ Ephian thought.

He drew his sword noiselessly, and held it in his right hand, while Elva held on to his left. His entire body grew tensed, his muscles rigid, and the feeling of severing the heads of the men were recollected by his hand and mind. He shivered.

"Ephian?" Elva asked as his fingers tightened around her hand abruptly.

"Yes?" Ephian asked, controlling his voice to not betray what he was feeling.

"Are you alright?" Elva asked him, and he continued to walk ahead, leading her onward.

"Yes, I am fine." Ephian lied, but Elva wasn't fooled.

"Ephian, I know something is wrong, tell me what it is!" Elva said, coming to a stop, and holding Ephian's hand to stop him as well.

 _How did she know?_ Ephian thought, bewildered.

He did stop, and he turned around slowly. Elva stared at him as he looked at her in the eyes, and she noticed the guilt he wasn't able to stop from coming to his face.

"Are you regretting the fact that you will have to slay more men today?" Elva asked him, and his eyes widened in surprise.

 _How_ **does** _she know that?_ Ephian thought, even more bewildered.

"Its alright Ephian, these men are a threat to the society. To Alagaesia as a whole. They have to be killed or captured . . . and you and I have been chosen for this mission, we cannot fail . . . And you are a Senior Ranger, you shouldn't feel all these things." Elva told him, and Ephian jumped as she used the name of his rank against him.

"I know I shouldn't be, but . . . I can't help it, being a Senior Ranger doesn't mean having a ruthless personality. It means being more conscious of your actions." Ephian said. As he did, Elva's hand tightened around his and she inched slightly closer, her eyes still staring into his.

Ephian forgot about his own thoughts just then, as those caring blue eyes swept them aside and conquered all of his attention towards them. He just wished he could stare at them for all of eternity, be lost in their depths. Even in the darkness around them, her eyes shone with great beauty. He could not turn away from them.

"And that's what I really admire about you Ephian . . . you are so nice and responsible. I couldn't have asked for a better partner, or Senior . . . or a friend." Elva said.

Ephian stared at her as well, and slowly, he himself began to inch closer, "You aren't just a friend to me, Elva, you are much more . . . You are really important to me."

A glint came in Elva's eyes, and she stared at him with an eyebrow raised, "Important in what way?" Their faces were some inches apart, their feet touching each other's, and Ephian was close enough to her to be able to see the glistening silver patch on her forehead flare slightly. His palm tingled.

"I . . . Elva . . . I really like you." Ephian said, and Elva's widened, with shock, surprise or happiness, he could not say, but they did. Ephian began to inch closer, intending to kiss her, unknowingly of course. He could not control himself at that instant. Elva's eyes bored with surprise into his, and their lips were an inch apart, but . . .

"Like her, do ya? Well, I can tel'ya, she is prettier than 'ost!" A rumbling voice said suddenly, and Ephian and Elva jumped away from each other. Elva drew her sword, and Ephian raised his own; he placed himself protectively in front of Elva.

Two men stood ahead of them, and one of them was rather dark skinned, and had black hair. The other had pale skin and was quite tall. They were both wearing black robes and were quite thin.

 _They are magicians!_ Ephian thought.

"Who are you, the rebels?" Ephian asked them boldly, and they drew daggers, two in each hand.

"Aye, Rider, we are magicians, but we can slay you without using it." They said, and crouched. Something about them seemed to suggest that they had learnt the language that they were speaking just recently, and from a very bad teacher.

Behind Ephian, Elva prepared to use magic, Ephian himself immersed into the flow of energy in the jet pommel of his sword.

"You are wrong, it is we who are going to claim your lives." Ephian said, and attacked both of them mentally. Elva was doing the same at that instant.

His attack encountered incredibly strong barriers, and his mental probe was blocked easily. The barriers were filled with the hate the man nurtured against Alagaesia for some reason, and most of all against the dragon Riders. The fact confused Ephian, but he couldn't deliberate on it at that instant.

As soon as his mental blow had been blocked, the men had charged forwards, daggers flashing in both their hands.

Elva shouted something behind Ephian, and one of them, the black skinned man, fell back with a blast of air. Ephian didn't use magic, instead he attacked the other man head on.

That was a big mistake . . .

"Kveykva!" The man yelled, pointing his right palm at Ephian.

Ephian stared at the black lightning bolt that erupted from the man's hand, and he reacted on instinct, just as he had been trained. He raised his right hand as fast he could, and yelled, "Letta!"

The bolt stopped in midair, and immediately, Ephian's energy began to decrease at an alarming rate. But he hurriedly began using the energy stored in the pommel of his sword, and its amount was huge.

On the other side, Elva was dueling the other man, their weapons blurring slightly, but it was obvious that Elva was on the offensive. But the man had two daggers, which had a big advantage over the single blade that Elva wielded. But Elva had the advantage of a longer weapon, and was able to keep the man at least an arm's length away.

Sparks burst forth from the blue and silver blades, and the sword and dagger clanged as they struck each other. Elva swung at the man's wrist, but the man dodged it, then his left dagger came directly at her hip. Elva blocked the blow by pulling her sword back and placing the pommel of her sword before the silver blade. Both the daggers were blocked now, but the man was stronger than Elva. He began pushing her back, and Elva knew she couldn't hold off against his brute strength. Ephian was busy in his magical duel with the other man. She was on her own . . .

"And now, you shall know the true strength of Du Freohr Dauthleikr." The man said in a thick voice, and Elva threw him a look of disgust. He continued to push her back, and she continued to try and resist, but it was in vain.

"I'd rather not know at all . . . Istlari un stenr!" Elva cried, and the loose rocks around the man leapt up in blue flames.

"Fram!" Elva yelled. The rocks darted straight at the man, and he yelled in pain. The rocks singed his body in several places, exposing raw red, burnt skin. He roared in pain as one of the rocks entered his mouth, burning his jaws as whole.

Elva quickly swung her sword, and beheaded the man, ending his misery. As her sword sliced apart the flesh, Elva felt what she had not felt for decades. The feeling of power, the confidence of survival and undefeatable strength in herself. The last time she had felt it had been when she had still borne the curse Eragon had given her.

But then, she saw Ephian still struggling with the lone man, and she sprinted to that man. One swing of her sword and the man had been beheaded. Blood covered the cave floor and walls from both the headless bodies.

Elva stared at the person she had just killed, while Ephian gaped at her, astounded by her sudden ferocity. Elva turned to him, and he was still holding his palm out, his eyes were wide and his mouth was open.

"What? You lost to me in sparring, remember? I am better than you at this." Elva said, and Ephian shut his mouth, though a smile cracked on his face.

"But . . . you killed both of them so easily, I thought they'd be more of a challenge." Ephian told her, and she just shrugged. Ephian noted how her behavior had changed slightly.

"Well, they weren't up to the mark, I suppose . . ." Elva said and walked over to Ephian, who had an eyebrow raised. Elva grabbed his left hand in her own, and smiled.

"See, you didn't need to kill anyone, I killed them both for you . . . that's good, isn't it?" Elva asked him, and Ephian raised his other eyebrow as well.

"Not that good . . . But I am fine, I wouldn't have been so bothered if I would have killed them myself anyway." Ephian told her, and she grinned.


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Heart of trouble**

"Elva, do you see a light there?" Ephian asked her softly, and Elva stared at the place where he was pointing.

There was a pinprick of light ahead, but Ephian could tell that it wasn't day light. He was sure it was dark outside, by now. That light led to a cave, somewhere unknown to them.

"Yes, I can, should we see what it is?" Elva asked him, and he considered the matter. It was dark all around them, so Ephian could not see Elva's face properly, although she was so fair her face seemed to shine in the dark sometimes.

Ever since those two magicians had attacked them, both the Riders had decided against having a light to lead them. They would trust their instincts more, and go slowly, so that they would realize if there was some hole or something in the ground before falling down.

"I think we should . . . it might be where those rebels are, or might be the dream well." Ephian said.

Elva agreed.

It had been quite a while since they had been attacked, but both of them were reluctant to restart the topic that they had been conversing earlier. Both were equally shy. Elva had felt almost sure than Ephian would have kissed her in those few heart stopping moments. But then, they had been interrupted by those two men, and she had truly lost her temper.

They strode towards the light, and it got steadily bigger. Elva felt her way ahead, and found that there were no holes in front of her, but Ephian had other ideas.

He sprinted forwards, and Elva followed him after a moment of hesitation. They ran as fast as they could after that, their armor silent due to the magic both of them had placed on it.

Ahead of them, the pinprick of light grew bigger and bigger.

"Elva, let's stop here, it will be better if we go in a little slowly, not just barge into the place without any plan or strategy. Better to be on the safer side, I suppose." Ephian told her, and she grinned.

"Look who's talking, weren't you the one who wanted to shimmy across that gaping hole just a while ago?" Elva asked as they both stopped. They could clearly see ahead of them was an opening out of the tunnel, which led to a huge, wide hall. The Hall wasn't like any other place in the dwarven kingdom, it was crudely mined, with irregular and here and there, curved walls, and had just been mined for the purpose of searching for riches.

Instead of what riches should have been here, they found an entire load of magic. Ephian thought as they walked forward.

"Ephian, I have a rather bad feeling about this . . . we can't even sense our dragons anywhere nearby. Why is that?" Elva asked him.

Ephian stared at her gingerly, then looked away, "It's because of the magical influence this place already has. Its power is huge, whereas ours is quite small as compared to it, that it why we can't sense Eridor or Jiarha, or our enemies, and they can't sense us either." Ephian answered.

"That's something to be grateful for, it is better this way." Elva agreed. "At least they won't know we are coming, will they?"

Ephian shook his head, "They won't, unless there are sentinels here or somewhere. But they must have noticed those two missing men, I am sure they have an inclination of something not being right, you get me?"

Elva nodded, and they both came to stop as they finally reached the opening, and its interiors were illuminated with a bright, white light, and it was flickering like the light of a candle.

Ephian sneaked inside, and stared at it.

"This is not good."

Jiarha growled and swooped over a huge rock, and Eridor followed, both of them nearly invisible in the darkness of the caves.

Both the dragons were flying through empty, dark and huge tunnels, made for dragons it would seem. So far their journey had been uneventful, except the fact that they had slain half a dozen humans at the huge gates from which they had entered.

After that incident, they had not encountered any living beings in the tunnels, and Jiarha could hardly sense anything ahead. But given these facts, Eridor was quite calm, as if he knew exactly what was going to happen and when it would happen.

 _I still don't understand why these tunnels have been made so big, dwarves hated dragons when these tunnels were mined, why would they be brought here? And dragons still hate getting into enclosed places like these._ Jiarha asked him as they flew forward. The ground was just some feet below then, but they found it better to fly and glide. It was faster than crawling, and much more silent as well, their claws created loud screeching noises on the stone floor.

 _I don't know, Jiarha, but I think that the strength of dragons was needed to make these mines, and they must have made a deal with some dragons and Riders to help them. Or magic, these two are the only possibilities I see._ Eridor answered calmly.

Jiarha nodded, and tried to contact Ephian, but to her dismay, she couldn't reach him. She couldn't even sense his presence anywhere. She had been able to do so some time ago. Though she knew he wasn't hurt or in pain, she knew that he was stuck in something,

 _Can you sense Elva?_ Jiarha asked Eridor.

 _No . . . but I do know in which direction she is, I kept monitoring it until her mind just winked off. I don't understand it, but I was just about to tell you that we should hurry up. And take a left turn when we can._ Eridor said.

Jiarha agreed, and they both suddenly flapped forward even faster, rushing past the dark walls of the tunnels.

"What is it, Ephian?" Elva asked, striding off to his side.

As soon as she entered the room, the bright light nearly blinded her, and she covered her eyes hurriedly. Ephian did the same.

"I don't know, that is why it is not good, and the light is just increasing in intensity." Ephian said, shielding his eyes with one hand, his other hand on the hilt of his sword.

"What do we do?" Elva asked him, and Ephian grasped his sword even more tightly.

"For now, wait until the light recedes."

As he said it, the light began to become violet in color, and it wasn't as intense as the white light, but was still quite strong. Then, it lightened into the indigo color, which was a little less bright, but Elva still couldn't see anything anyway.

The Indigo color turned to blue, then green, yellow, orange and finally red. As the colors changed from one to another, their intensity decreased drastically, and Elva could nearly see properly when the color was red. But then, the light just stopped abruptly, and it was dark everywhere.

 _What?_ Elva thought, but she couldn't see anything even when she squinted around. She knew that Ephian was standing next to her though, she could hear his breathing. As if on instinct, her hand slowly moved sideways and grabbed his hand firmly. Ephian jumped slightly, then whispered, "Elva?"

"Ephian . . . I thought we'd lose each other in the dark, so I . . ." Elva told him, and he tightened his fingers around hers slightly to show that he had understood.

They both waited in silence, both invisible due to their dark armor.

After several minutes, light began to seep into the hall again, and it came from somewhere ahead.

As they waited, light finally illuminated the room, it was comfortable and they were able to see properly in it. And what they saw left them dazed.

They were on the third floor of the huge hall, and on the floor exactly below were several men, standing around a ring of white light. Inside that ring was complete darkness, but the ring was glowing fiercely like heated metal just pulled out of the fire.

"What in Alagaesia is that?" Elva asked, but Ephian didn't reply. Instead, he looked around and jumped.

"Elva, get behind the rock!" Ephian said, panicked, grabbing her arm and pulling her with him.

"Ephian, what-?"

"There are men over there!" Ephian whispered back, pulling her close to him, and they both were hiding behind a huge rock just to the side, near the wall of the room. Elva turned around and saw that the room had another floor just below theirs, but it was only on their side of the room, none of the other walls had floors.

"There is a doorway over there." Ephian whispered, and she followed his gaze and saw that on the exact opposite side of the room, at the base, there was a small door, and sunlight was pouring into the room from it.

"Is that another side exit?" Elva asked him quietly, and Ephian shook his head.

"I don't think so, I think this is a room that the dwarves made, or a sort of hall where they would all meet, and kept it joined to the mountain. So, we are practically out of the mountain now, but we are quite in the place of trouble." Ephian told her.

"What makes you say that?" Elva asked him.

"That's the Dream Well down there, and this is the place which leads into Mani's caves . . . we entered from the wrong place, but it seems that it is good we did." Ephian answered.

Just then, they heard two pairs of footsteps, and they both fell silent. Ephian even moved to the side and pulled Elva with him. Elva let him do so, she felt she wouldn't be better anywhere else at the moment but in his arms.

The footsteps stopped just a few yards away from where the both of them were, and Elva realized that there were two men there, talking to each other.

"Where, in Grionphor's beard, are Lugen and Jourah? They were supposed to report back an hour ago." The man said.

"I dunno. I have been waiting here for them for three hours now, and I don't think anyone has come out of that tunnel yet. That is the place they were supposed to come in from." Another man replied.

"Something tells me that they encountered worse than just darkness there. The dwarf told us that two humans and two dragons had come to investigate these caves . . ." The man said, and Elva felt Ephian grow tensed and hug her even more tightly. She could feel the warmth of his arms even through their armor, but there was another thought in her mind.

 _Someone has betrayed us . . ._ Elva thought.

"What was his name again, Larouf, right?" The man asked, and suddenly they heard him groan in pain.

"Don't say that name, it mustn't be known to anyone that the Grimstborith himself has betrayed Alagaesia, am I understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The man replied hurriedly.

As she heard those words, Ephian's arms eased around her, and suddenly, he let go of her completely.

"Ephian?" Elva asked him, but he didn't say anything. He had a look of extreme rage on his face.

"Stay here." Ephian told her, and slowly walked forward, towards the edge of the rock, and peeked around it.

The two men were not looking at them anymore, they had both turned away and were standing several yards away.

"Stay here, and come only when I tell you, understood?" Ephian asked her, but Elva grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

"What are you planning? Tell me that first." Elva told him, and Ephian stared at her, still in reckless fury.

"I am planning to get more information as to who all have betrayed us, and I know exactly how I can do it." Ephian said, then grasped her arm and pushed it away from his. With his other hand, he drew Edoc'sil, and strode off towards the men before Elva could stop him.

 _Has he lost his mind? What makes him . . . He put a spell on himself, I know it, and I know it is to make him as fast as an elf._ Elva thought and stared at him as Ephian walked towards the men, who had apparently not noticed him yet.

"Why hello, men." Ephian said suddenly, and they both jumped and looked at him in surprise.

"Lugen? . . . No, Jourah? . . . Not him either, who are you, man?" They asked him, and Ephian sneered.

"Your worst nightmare." Ephian replied and slashed out with Edoc'sil faster than was possible for normal humans.

The man didn't have the time to stop Ephian or yell as his head was cut cleanly off, and a fountain of blood poured out from the sliced part of the neck.

The other man jumped to the side, but he was probably a hardened warrior because he didn't yell or cry in dismay. Instead, he drew his own sword and stared at Ephian, backing off slowly.

"You are that Rider, aren't you? Where's your friend?" The man asked Ephian, who grinned slightly.

"That is irrelevant . . ." Ephian replied and charged forwards, and swung at the man's arm. The man parried the blow, then abruptly both their faces tensed and hardened. Elva realized that they were in a mental struggle.

The man then sliced up at Ephian's neck, but Ephian blocked the blow with lighting speed, and his face eased. The man had obviously not expected Ephian to be able to stop him. Thus, he got distracted and gave Ephian the opening he needed to overwhelm his mental defenses and enter his mind.

The man's face strained alarmingly, and finally eased after a while. He fell to the ground, limp, and Ephian grabbed his sword before it fell with a loud clatter.

"Ephian, are you . . . alright?" Elva asked him, as he looked up at her, sheathing his sword.

"I am fine . . . Az Sweldn Ran Anhûin has betrayed us. I saw it all clearly in his mind. Also, something else, that was quite disturbing." Ephian told her in a quiet voice.

"What is that?"

"There really is a Shade here, and he has interpreted the wild magic as well . . . I don't know what he has done with it, that man killed himself off before I could stop him or get all the information." Ephian told her, and looked at the well again.

Elva stared at him, and fear began to worm its way into her mind. She remembered her dream of being thrown into the pool, and that well looked just like it.

"Ephian . . . my dream, it showed the same thing." Elva told him, and Ephian turned to her. Elva looked up at him and saw surprise in his eyes, along with a little fear but much more determination.

"Nothing is going to happen to you as long as I am around, Elva." Ephian told her, and gently grabbed her hand in his own.

Elva nodded, "But I am not a weakling either, I can fight as well."

Ephian smiled and bowed his head.

"Then we shall see just how much." A loud voice said all of a sudden, from somewhere to the right.

The serpent slithered closer, and the dragons flew further. The Riders were in danger, but would their skills help them survive the conflict to come?


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: The Difference made**

Ephian and Elva turned away from each other in a split second, and both their hands flew to their swords. Ephian drew it, as he was faster than any average human at that moment, but Elva had only just grasped the hilt.

To the side stood a man, who was staring at them with glinting eyes. The rest of his body was almost invisible in the dark. Ephian couldn't make out where he had come from but he noticed that the man wasn't staring at him, but at the woman beside him. He moved in front of Elva protectively, and stood as a barrier between the man and her.

"Ah, Ephian, Rider of Jiarha? Wasn't that what you told the Grimstborith?" The man asked them, and Ephian stared at him angrily.

"Who are you?" Ephian asked in venomous voice.

"You do not know? . . . What a pity!" He said and raised his palm.

There wasn't enough time for either of them even to raise their hands up to their faces or mutter a counter spell as the force of powerful magic swept towards them, though it was stopped by the invisible barriers, their wards.

But, even the wards were depleted in some seconds, and Ephian and Elva flew back and off the floor, to the empty space behind them. Ephian yelled, and lunged around, grabbing Elva by the arm, who was screaming at the top of her voice. His muscles bulged as he pulled Elva up and towards him, into his embrace. He hardly noticed the wind whistling in his ears, or slapping his face as they fell down. He only noticed Elva, whom he had to keep safe. She was with him and was his responsibility.

Elva only had enough time to say, "Ephian!" Before they both hit the ground in a loud clatter of protests from their armors and swords.

Ephian groaned slightly as his back ached abruptly, and lights popped up in front of his eyes. He had fallen down those dozen feet, and had landed on his back with Elva on top of him. She looked up at him in wonder, for the second time, amazed at what he had done for her.

"Are . . . are you alright?" Ephian asked her, and Elva nodded.

"Uh huh, are you?"

"Not really . . ." Ephian replied in a faint voice, as slowly he realized where they were. They were on the lowest floor, just a few yards away from the dream well, and he could hear the clinking of armors, but not his or Elva's armor.

And, he could hear the flapping of wings.

His vision slowly began to grow hazy as the pain in his back, legs and chest began to grow. Ephian groaned and Elva looked at him with concerned eyes. He hardly heard her as she began shouting his name.

"Ephian! Speak to me! Ephian!" She was screaming, but he couldn't comprehend. He was going deaf and blind, as his eyes began to close. He only wished for one thing, to just lie down there and relax until all his pain and worry vanished.

But that was not to be, the two of them were in a situation far worse than either of them had anticipated. Their mission was a total disaster now, that was certain, and they were both in grave danger.

The realization didn't take long to strike Ephian, and as it did, he began regaining his consciousness, and he could hear again. As slowly his eyesight returned, he could hear Elva's beautiful voice chanting the spell to heal him, and swiftly, he returned to his best.

"Elva . . ." Ephian said in a low voice, and she smiled.

"Elva, Rider of Eridor, aren't you?" The same voice suddenly asked them, belonging to the person who had thrown them both off that floor.

Elva looked up, and her face changed from happiness to fear. She got up, and picked up her sword, staring at the direction of the voice, her eyebrows meeting in a fierce frown.  
Ephian looked up at her, then got up as well, grabbing Edoc'sil as he did.

As he stood up, he looked at the person in front of him, furious. But what he saw next made his fury vanish with a sense of foreboding.

In front of him was a man, no, it was a Shade. But he did seem more like a man than any other Shade. He had shaggy, tangled black hair which reached down to his shoulders in a bushy mess, and his armor was equally black.

But most of all, Ephian was disgusted by his skin. It was bone white, with a tinge of gray to it, which made it seem quite sickening.

"I am." Elva replied to him, holding Nuanen firmly in her hands.

Ephian immersed himself into the flow of magic in the pommel of his sword, and was a little disappointed to see that he had already used up a quarter of it.

Suddenly, there were sounds of the clinking of metal upon metal, and behind them, the dream well began to glow even more fiercely with a white light.

Men entered the room they were in from about half a dozen doors around the rectangular room, and they were all wearing armor.

Jiarha and Eridor flew steadily northward, still under the mountain. Eridor knew where he was going, but he kept looking down other caves to the sides, most of which were too small for them to enter.

Jiarha was nervous. She felt sure that Ephian was in danger, she always did when she couldn't sense him, though the occasion had taken place only twice before. Now, she worried endlessly, considering all the possibilities with Eridor.

 _What if it's that Shade? What if he has found them?_ Jiarha asked him as Eridor blew a puff of smoke, frustrated that he couldn't look into a small tunnel.

 _Jiarha . . . I know you are worried about Ephian, but calm down. We can't get to them if we get scared or worried, or worse, if we panic. Be calm and be patient, we will find a way._ Eridor said and flapped forward again. Jiarha followed him.

To Jiarha, Eridor didn't seem to be worried at all about Elva, but she knew that he was worried, he just wasn't showing because he didn't want her to think he was a hypocrite.

 _Do you see something there, where this tunnel ends?_ Eridor asked her, and she strained her eyes in that direction. There indeed was something peculiar there. The cave opened to something even wider, and light could be seen there, but Jiarha felt that Ephian was that way. Her instincts told her he was.

 _Come on, lets go there._ Jiarha told him, and without waiting for a reply, she flew forward. Eridor growled in disapproval, but followed her anyway as she as flew towards the open area ahead of them.

Ephian glowered at the men around him, fighting to remain calm. But, he just couldn't, there were a dozen men around them, all of them bent on killing Elva and him, and the both of them were on their own with a Shade in front of them, and had no idea where in Alagaesia their dragons were. The situation just couldn't get better.

The men slowly formed a circle around him and Elva, who sidled closer to him, their shoulders brushing each others. It was only her presence that kept him from going berserk, that made him hold his ground and not charge wildly at the men around them.

"So, Riders, you are here to kill us, are you?" The Shade asked them, sneering now. He was holding his own sword, which was quite bright.

Elva tensed next to him, but Ephian began to grow furious.

"Yes, we are, and we will slay you all. Alagaesia will remain safe!" Ephian shouted at him, who smirked.

Elva slowly began to step away from them, and come as close to Ephian as possible.

"No, Ephian, don't challenge him. Don't listen to what he says!" Elva told him hastily, and there was almost panic in her voice, and Ephian looked at her in surprise.

"What confidence, for one so weak . . . You shall suffer for that." The Shade said, then turned to the other men and shouted, "Get back, you warts. I will handle them." He grinned at Ephian, who looked up at him and held his sword tightly.

Elva looked up at him, but he didn't look down at her. His face had become hard and he was determined to protect Elva. His eyes met the ones of his enemy, and rage grew in him, molded by his iron will.

"Get back Elva." Ephian said, and Elva gave a cry of despair.

"No, Ephian, please. Don't fight him!" Elva pleaded, but Ephian kept staring at the Shade, unable to recognize the desperation in Elva's voice or on her face.

"Now, Elva!" Ephian said and strode in front of her, Edoc'sil held tightly in his hands.

Elva could do nothing as Ephian stood ahead of her, his muscles tensed and veins visible on his forehead. He glared at the Shade with such conviction, the abomination scowled heavily.

"Foolish human, you think you can fight me?" He yelled and sprinted forwards, sword raised. His speed was astounding, but Ephian wasn't quite slow.

The Shade began to swing his sword, but before he could, Ephian sidestepped him, and slashed at his chest. But the blow was parried and the Shade retaliated with a jab, which Ephian ducked under and sliced at his head.

"You don't think I am foolish or weak now, do you?" Ephian asked him, and the Shade smirked.

"You don't know who you are challenging, Rider . . . I am one of the Feared Three, and I am the one who has given them the name . . . We are the Bringers of Death, Death takes birth from us . . . I am Orúm, the serpent that poisons and bites!" The Shade said, and Ephian halted for a split second, staring at him for a while. Then Ephian grinned.

"All snakes have a forked tongue, do you as well?" Ephian asked him, and the Shade sneered.

"You will pay for your . . . insolence." Orúm said, and his sneer just widened when Elva yelped in surprise.

Ephian looked around hurriedly, and he heard a man say "DIE!" When he turned, he saw that the man was just next to Elva, and was going to kill her, but in a fraction of a second, his head was lying on the ground, sliced off by Nuanen. Ephian gaped at Elva, who had also used elven speed.

Orúm hissed in disappointment, but then, Ephian turned back to him and charged. But he didn't see Orúm signal to his other men with a twitch of his finger.

"You will not last any longer!" Ephian said, and sliced at Orúm's chest, but he blocked the blow, and laughed. Ephian cringed as he heard his laughter, but something happened next that drove away all his other thoughts.

Elva screamed "Ephian!" And Ephian turned around to see her being held by two huge men, and they were too strong for her to break away from.

There was nothing Ephian could do except shout, "Elva!" But then suddenly, Orúm pushed Ephian back and swung his sword at Ephian's head.

Ephian began to raise his sword to block Orúm's blow, but he was too late. It hit him squarely on the side of his head, but it was protected by a helm, so he didn't die. But he did get injured enough to yell in pain. As he yelled, he heard Elva shout ,"Ephian, no!"

But Orúm wasn't a merciful person, though he didn't kill Ephian then and there, he kicked the Rider away, making him fall to the ground with a grunt.

Then, something quite astounding happened, which startled almost everyone in the room. A colossal roar was heard high above them, and the roof of the room was blasted apart by white and black fire.

Orúm threw them one look of pure surprise and rage, then cursed, "Befouled abominations! . . . Boys, throw that girl into the pool!"

Eridor growled slightly, and Jiarha yelped in surprise. The open area ahead of them, was actually the open side of the mountain. The opening had led them outside the mountain, and Eridor took in a deep breath of the air and let it out in a flare of blue fire.

It was early evening outside, and Eridor was glad to be there. At least, he was able to feel free again, even though it was for a while.

 _Eridor, we must find Ephian and Elva! I felt so sure that we would find them if we came this way . . ._ Jiarha said, flapping to maintain her height.

Eridor sighed in his dragon way, flames erupting slowly from his nostrils. But then, he felt something, and he was sure it was from his connection with Elva. He felt immense fear and hatred towards someone, and he could all of a sudden sense where she was. She was directly below him.

Jiarha also must have sensed something similar, because she dived downwards as fast as she could, not giving a thought to the consequences or anything else.

Eridor growled in disapproval again, but dived anyway, following Jiarha.

They both landed gently on top the roof, and Jiarha nudged it impatiently with her snout, while Eridor just watched her, until she began to scratch the rock with her claws.

 _He's in there, I just know it, he is there. But, how do we . . ._ Jiarha trailed off, and Eridor looked up, then down suddenly, because they had both suddenly experienced great emotions of fear and dread from both their Riders, though Eridor was in considerable panic now, in matter of seconds. Elva's feelings had been quite dreadful, and he knew that he had to help her now.

Jiarha also seemed to feel the same, and she began to pound against the rock roof as hard as she could, with all four of her legs and her tail, roaring and yelling with her mind, EPHIAN!

Eridor also began imitating her, but then, his mind was a little less panicky than Jiarha's, and he understood that they were just wasting time, beating the rock. They had to do something better. And it was also possible that the people that were a danger to Ephian and Elva might hear him and Jiarha.

 _Jiarha! Listen to me!_ Eridor said frantically, but she didn't seem to hear him, and Eridor tried to call her again, but he lost his patience after a couple of tries.

He dived straight at her, and grabbed her fore legs in his own, and buffeted her with his wings, stopping her from banging the rock, and he pushed her to the ground, sending all his weight over her.

 _Listen! Its useless to hit the rock like this, we won't get anything out of it._ Eridor told her, while Jiarha stared at him in astonishment, then tried to throw him off.

Get off, Eridor! Jiarha said, kicking him with her hindlegs, but Eridor didn't budge.

 _No! You listen to me first, we will just be warning those people who are threatening Ephian and Elva that we are coming, and we will be wasting our time._ Eridor told her, and her kicking reduced a bit, though as he stared into her eye, Eridor could make out the panic and worry in them.

 _So . . . what are you saying? We should do something else?_ Jiarha asked him, and Ephian growled.

 _Yes, we should . . . We can use fire to blast our way through this, and hopefully catch them by surprise._ Eridor said, and Jiarha stared at him for a while, struck dumb it seemed.

 _. . . . . Fine then, as there is no other alternative, we will have to do this._ Jiarha agreed, and Eridor got off her. Normally, he would have felt something queer at managing to tackle Jiarha so easily, but then, it wasn't the time. He had to save Elva.

Eridor and Jiarha took to the skies after that, with unspoken consent. They flew several feet into the sky, and both off them took deep breaths, and began to get ready to melt the rock away, using all the power that they had.

It must have been quite an incredible sight, then, watching two huge dragons, black and blue in color, holding their necks high and staring up at the sky, and flames belching out of their snouts. But unfortunately, no one saw them.

 _Ready?_ Eridor asked after a few seconds.

 _Ready._ Jiarha replied, and they both brought their necks down and huge torrents of fire, black and blue in color, flew out and struck the rock roof harder than the dragons anticipated. But they didn't stop there, they continued, for almost two minutes, and under the intensity of both the flames, the rock began melting at an alarming rate.

But, it seemed that for all their speed, it wasn't enough.

An avalanche of emotions of fear and dread came to Eridor, stronger than any he had experienced in his life, and he himself shirked slightly. Elva was in grave danger, Eridor knew this, and she was scared for not just her life, but also for Ephian's, something which Elva was regretting was going on down there, and Eridor did not have the patience to think of the reason.

All he wanted to do was save his Rider, all he wished was to see her safe and happy. But he didn't have enough time, he didn't have enough strength, nor did he have enough skill.

Jiarha roared, while writhing flames, causing a massive fireball to fly from her mouth and hit the rock. But as it he hit, Eridor roared as well, louder than ever before, and then it happened.

His body surged with insuppressible energy, his eyes began to glow with brilliant white light, and his fire became stronger. In his own desperation and panic, and desire to save Elva, Eridor had got the urge to use magic, strong as it was.

His body writhed and he opened his jaws wide and gave a roar of rage, which was followed by a huge torrent of pure white flames, which hit the rock surface so hard, the roof collapsed and broke off, instead of melting.

But Eridor and Jiarha were desperate, and not stopping to even admire his own work, Eridor dived in.

 _Elva!_


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: All for Nothing . . .**

Ephian growled angrily, and stood up, charging at the men who were holding Elva, just as Eridor dived towards them. He was desperate now, he couldn't lose Elva, he loved her, and he wasn't going to let her go away. He just couldn't stop himself. His body and mind, both told him to act. And that was what he was doing, the emotions of urgency and desperation, and rage, just aggravating the situation.

But, Orúm blocked his way, and swung his sword at Ephian's legs, as the Rider ran at those two men. He was too late when he spotted the bright sword nearing his ankle, but he tried to jump over the sword anyway. Unfortunately, it didn't work all that well, the sword just gave him a cut on the side of his feet.

Orúm snarled and grabbed Ephian's shoulder, making him spin on the spot, and sliced at his neck. Ephian reacted instinctively and ducked, but the sword banged the other side of his helm as well, and he yelled in pain once more. This time, the blow had been strong enough to make his head bleed.

"Rider! You cannot beat us! We are here to destroy Alagaesia, not conquer it!" Orúm yelled and brandished his sword at Ephian, who had fallen to his knees.

As he heard those words, he looked up slowly, enraged.

But, a voice yelled somewhere to the side, "EPHIAN! ERIDOR!"

Ephian jumped to his feet, rage and pain vanished, and dread in its place. He turned and ran towards where the voice had come from, but it was apparent that he was too late. He saw those two men, who were holding Elva, lift her off the ground, and saw her own feeble attempts to free herself as she yelled and swung her arms and legs wildly. He saw them hold her for a second, then throw her straight into the pool, which had a ring of light around it. She screamed at the top of her voice just before the sound ended abruptly, with a splash from the liquid.

"ELVA!" Ephian yelled, coming to a halt in his own surprise and abrupt numbness.

Ephian looked at the pool for a while, unable to believe what he had just seen. He couldn't believe it, he didn't want to believe it. Elva had disappeared in that pool, she had just vanished, and now he could not see her anywhere. His entire seemed to have gone numb, and he found it difficult even to move.

Elva had fallen into Mani's Dream well. Although, in normal times, she could have just climbed out, Ephian wasn't sure if that would be the case right now, especially considering the fact that the Shade had tampered with it. Right now, the liquid, which ought to have been colourless, was completely black there wasn't any ripple on the surface of the liquid, as if nothing had happened to it for a thousand years. But Ephian knew something was horribly wrong.

As if to confirm his feelings, Eridor gave an immense roar, filled with all his agony and regret.

And then, rage began to grow in Ephian, true rage, rage of loss. Jiarha roared as well, but Ephian turned around and looked for the Shade, determined to kill him. Elva had fallen into the liquid, and somewhere in his heart of hearts, Ephian somehow felt that she was no more. He felt that she was dead now, and it seemed, Eridor felt the same.

Ephian stared at the men, holding Edoc'sil tightly in his hands, his forehead bleeding, and an uncontrollable fire of rage in him. He yelled his wrath at the top of his voice, and began to run towards those two men, bent on killing them, but Eridor got there before him.

Just behind Ephian, Jiarha landed and breathed fire towards Orúm, who jumped away, cursing foully.

Eridor slashed at both those men, roaring, a blue fire sprouting from his nostrils. The men yelled, and his talons sliced apart one of them, while the other ducked and bolted to the side, running towards Orúm. But Ephian got to him first, and the Rider did now show mercy. Indeed, 'mercy' was a word he had completely forgotten.

"Death to all you filthy roaches!" Ephian yelled and Jiarha roared to signify his words.

A black inferno flew towards a couple of men, who were trying to string their bows. They were both killed, engulfed by the fire. Four were killed by a black, spiked tail hitting their necks and backs.

Ephian swung Edoc'sil in an arch, around his head, and twirled it from his right hand to his left, just as the man he was chasing tried to get away. The sword hit his armoured back, and he gave a grunt of pain, but instead of continuing to run, he jumped to the side, avoiding another swing from Ephian, and drew his own sword, though there was fear for the Rider, and dragons, in his eyes.

Ephian glared at him, and charged as fast as was possible, not stopping to think that he was outnumbered. He slashed at the man's neck, and the man just managed to block the blow, but Ephian didn't stop. He pressed the attack onwards, and pushed the man off balance. The man yelled and fell to the ground.

"Curse you, Rider! Curse you! Someday, you will realize it would have been better just to let us have things our way." The man shouted at him.

Ephian ignored him, and then inverted his sword and stabbed the man through the heart, the man gave a chocked moan.

"But that day shall never come." Ephian said.

Orúm and the remaining six men banded together to the side, and Jiarha and Eridor landed. Ephian turned around and stared at them furiously, but what chance did those seven men stand against two dragons and a powerful Rider?

Orúm seemed confident enough, "Losna du rakr!" He yelled, and at the same time, the men sprinted forward, towards Ephian, who raised Edoc'sil and Jiarha and Eridor growled on either sides of him.

But almost immediately, mist started to pour in from all directions, and the men had just begun to run. Ephian was undeterred, furious as he was, and Eridor was in a maddening rage. Even before Ephian could think of a move to use, Eridor had jumped forward and swiped at the men, out of which only one was sliced apart by the formidable talons.

The others had dodged the dragon, but Jiarha breathed fire at them, which claimed two more, and then she dived forwards and swung her tail at them. But only one man was hit by it, since he didn't duck quickly enough.

Unluckily, Jiarha's tail hit Eridor's neck as he turned around, growling.

A roar of pain reverberated throughout the room, and Eridor's blood splashed the ground, and Jiarha jumped back, shocked at what she had unintentionally done.

 _Eridor!_ Jiarha said, while Ephian parried a blow from one of the men, and jumped to the side, dodging the other men as they tried to jab him with a spear and smash his head in with a hammer.

 _Watch your tail!_ Eridor growled at her, then turned around to look for the Shade.

Jiarha stared at him for a while, then looked back at Ephian, realizing that her Rider needed help.

 _About time too!_ Ephian thought.

A fireball burst out of Jiarha's mouth, and claimed the life of another man who wielded the spear.

Ephian swung the sword around, knocking the spear aside, then parried a sword.

By then time, mist was all around them, and even the dragons were finding it hard to look around.

"Rider! You won't win against us . . . give up when you can!" The man with the sword said, but Ephian ignored him. Instead, he replied with a lightning fast jab of his sword, which the man couldn't dodge or parry. He died with the black sword poking out of his back.

Eridor roared in frustration as he couldn't see past the mist, and Jiarha tried to hit the remaining man, but she couldn't. He was too fast.

Ephian charged at him, and stabbed at his heart, intending to end the fight in one hit. But it was not so.

The man parried the blow with his spear, then swung it around smoothly, smacking Ephian's face. With a grunt of pain, Ephian fell back to the ground, and the man gave a laugh of victory, but he forgot about the dragons.

Jiarha roared mightily and smashed him to the ground with her fore leg, and the man's legs snapped painfully. They were broken.

Jiarha snarled at the man under her foreleg, who yelled in pain.

 _You shall pay for that!_ Jiarha thundered in his mind, and grabbed him in her talons.

Ephian looked up at her, then said, _No, wait! He can tell us where Elva is . . ._

Jiarha paused, about to toss the man away, then consented and let him fall to the ground.

 _Hurry up . . ._ Jiarha told him, and he walked up to the broken man. As he walked, he reached forth with his mind and entered the man's distracted conscience, and worked his way throughout his memories. What he saw left him entranced. Indeed, it was clear that he had bitten off more than he could chew.

These men were not of Alagaesia; these men were from some other land, which Ephian could not recognise at all. It was so alien to him, yet so similar. But, he didn't have time to skim through more of those; he had to find out where Elva was.

As Ephian worked through the memories, Eridor breathed fire all around the room, looking for the Shade. Jiarha began fanning her wings around to clear the mist, which began to recede gradually. They continued like that for some, Ephian just standing next to the man, Eridor and Jiarha clearing the mist.

When the mist gradually cleared, it was obvious that Orúm had disappeared, he had escaped the room and had gone off somewhere. The pool was not glistening anymore, and there was no ring of light around it. Whatever the magic that had made it seemed special had gone off, now it was just an ordinary pool, seemingly of water.

Ephian searched the more recent memories of the man, who was now under the Rider's influence.

He gleaned this much from the man's mind: Elva was not dead, she was alive. But, she had been transported off to some place, probably to the place where these men had come from. But, she was going to be held captive by the people there, and probably be tortured for information. The thought of the woman he loved getting tortured and harassed brought rage back to Ephian, and he finally tore away from the man 's mind, then grabbed Edoc'sil and drove it clean through the heart of the man. He gulped and choked one last time, then looked at the furious Rider in horror, and finally his head fell limp to the ground. Death had taken him.

 _Where's that Shade? Where is he?_ Ephian yelled in Jiarha's and Eridor's minds, swinging his sword around in frustration.

Eridor growled and looked back at him. _Don't talk to me like that, Rider! I wish to tear his puny heart to shreds as much as you do. Even more, I am Elva's dragon!_

Ephian tersely replied. _You think I do not wish to scrape his heart till he bleeds half to death, and then stab him? Let me tell you something Eridor!_

But Eridor interrupted. _No! Let me tell you!_ The blue dragon turned around and crouched, as if preparing to attack Ephian.

"Come on then! Tell me!" Ephian bellowed in replu and raised his sword in front of him, his left hand prepared to use magic. Both the males, who loved Elva, stood face to face, all of a sudden ready to attack each other mightily.

 _Stop, you two! Are you crazy?_ Jiarha suddenly put in, jumping in between them with a snarl.

Eridor roared. _Tell your Rider to stop undermining my-_

Ephian interrupted loudly. _You tell him to get his golly as-_

Jiarha pounded the ground with her forelegs, and she was quite furious as well. _Look at you two, arguing like racist monkeys. We are wasting precious time, when we could very well be working out where the Shade has gone to or what happened to Elva . . . What say you two?_ She finished, and both, Ephian and Eridor, stared at her in surprise. But it wasn't anything new that a female dragon had worked out the obvious logic faster than the males.

Ephian was the first one to come out the reverie. _I can answer one of your questions . . . Elva has been . . . . transported off to some foreign place, I dunno where . . . but I am sure she is alive and that if we find out where that place is, we can probably save her._

Eridor stared at him for a while, then said, _Not a very bright thing . . . but it's the only thing we have . . . Elva . . . we need to know more!_

Jiarha immediately replied, _I bet the Shade knows where that place is . . . we must find him. But he has disappeared, obviously into the tunnels. How can we find him now?_

Ephian stared around, then a look of a man challenged with a daunting problem came to his face.

 _The dwarf clan, Az Sweldn Rak Anhûin betrayed us to these foreigners._ He kicked the head of the dead man. _If that's the case, then I am sure they know where that Shade will run off to . . . Its their Grimstborith we must talk to . . ._

Eridor and Jiarha considered his words for a while, as Ephian walked over to the pool, where Elva's sword was lying. He stooped and picked it up, marvelling in its beauty. All of a sudden, he could understand why Elva had named it Nuanen.

 _Ephian . . . You are right, we must go to this clan, right now and figure it out . . . lets go!_ Jiarha said as Ephian stroked the blue sword lovingly and Eridor clawed the ground restlessly, eager to be gone.

All three of them were quite touched by Elva's disappearance, but for now, all three of them couldn't feel the seriousness of the situation. The serpent had slithered away, and now they were going to hunt him down, though it could take quite a while.

To the west, another man yelled in pain.


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: At the Capital**

Saphira and Valinor dived towards the huge city of Carvahall, and Eragon and Arya smiled at the beautifully designed city.

It was much like Tierm; the gradually increasing levels of the houses, which were all pure white in color. The city was, of course, twice the size of Teirm, and much better made. Its citadel was the tallest, looming over all the other buildings. The castle itself, which contained the citadel, was huge. Inside the keep, there was a ring of gardens, where people came to sit and relax. Trees of many sorts were present in these gardens, along with fountains as well. Then, after these gardens, came the true walls of the castle, and the doors leading right into it.

 _Looks like Orothim's reign so far has been quite peaceful._ Saphira said, but Eragon was in a somber mood.

 _Saphira, I don't think this peace is going to last, the voice I am constantly hearing, and Anurin's coming are the signs._ Eragon told her, much to her growing concern.

 _Don't say that, we have time for it . . ._ Saphira told him, but she knew he was right.

Eragon grunted but didn't reply, because they heard another dragon roar at that moment. They all looked down to see a white dragon flying up, towards them, and on its back was the Rider. The dragon was named Ohen, and his Rider was Nolfavrell. He had been assigned to Carvahall.

Saphira and Valinor returned the roar, and many citizens in the city looked up in surprise. Their surprise was followed by joy and enthusiasm as they abruptly yelled and cheered when they realized that the Lead Rider had arrived.

 _Looks like they are pleased to see us here, don't you think?_ Saphira asked him, and Eragon agreed.

All three dragons landed in the gardens, around the keep and their Riders got off.

Nolfavrell initiated the greetings, "Atra esterní ono thelduin."

Eragon and Arya replied, "Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr."

Nolfavrell said the third line as well, "Un du evarínya ono varda." And twisted his hand over his sternum and bowed.

"Welcome to Carvahall, ebrithil." Nolfavrell told Eragon.

"Good to see you Nolfavrell, and Ohen as well. I trust everything is fine here?" Eragon asked him, and Nolfavrell nodded.

"Aye, it is quite peaceful here . . . But why are you here? I mean, are you here to meet King Orothrim?" Nolfavrell asked curiously as Saphira nuzzled Ohen, who was her son.

"That, and we are actually heading for Ellesméra from here, something important has come up there that I must investigate . . . we'll carry on into the castle, Nolfavrell-vodhr. You and Ohen may continue your patrol duties." Eragon told him.

Nolfavrell bowed, as did Ohen, then he jumped onto the white dragon's back. The dragon gave one more roar, then took off into the morning skies, which were white with clouds, just as Eragon and the others walked off towards the gates to the entrance hall.

They walked through the passages and corridors of the castle; they were all pure white in color and had several paintings. Most of the paintings in the passage, they were currently walking through, were of Roran and Eragon, of the cousins fighting the empire's soldiers, or of Saphira and Thorn fighting each other. Some even showed Saphira, Thorn and Valinor fighting Shruikan, or Valinor and Shruikan grappling alone. Similarly, there were fairths of Eragon, Arya and Murtagh fighting Galbatorix, or Eragon and Galbatorix fighting each other alone, with both their swords aflame.

Eragon smiled at one such picture, which showed Galbatorix pointing at a figure in green armor, who was bleeding and had fallen to the ground, while another figure in blue armor was on his knees. Another figure in red armor lay to the side.

 _This was where I nearly lost Arya . . . And Naeivya gave her life for me at that instant . . ._ Eragon thought, and a little guilt began to fill his thoughts as he remembered what had happened.

The passage they were in was high and wide enough for the dragons, lit by small chandeliers, each of which had a small fire burning in them.

 _Oh Eragon . . ._ Saphira said, and his guilt vanished as she swept through his thoughts, filling his mind with the love she had for him.

 _Thank you Saphira._ Eragon said.

Arya was staring at another fairth that showed Eragon and Galbatorix shooting blue and silver colored flames at each other. In that picture as well, two figures in green and red armor lay on the ground. Arya's lips twitched slightly as she beheld the earlier times. Eragon clasped his fingers to hers, and squeezed them gently. Arya turned to him and gave him a small smile.

After that, without any word spoken, both the Riders turned away from the paintings and fairths and began walking forward again, arm in arm.

They continued down passage after passage, and finally arrived at the gates to the Throne room, and the Elite soldiers, the Golden Sentinels that guarded it, opened the doors.

This was the very room where Roran had been crowned as the King, but it had now become the Throne room. It was long, tall, wide, with enough place for Saphira, Thorn, Valinor and Draumr to fit in comfort. With a dozen chandeliers of gold on top, half a dozen diamond shaped windows to the sides and couches, tables and chair placed along with walls, the Throne room was indeed grand.

On the other end of the room, in front of the five step high, golden Throne , stood King Orothrim, his grey beard reaching to his chest, his graying hair quite long.

"Greetings, dragons and Rider, it's been many a year since the Lead Rider came for a visit. Why the distance, my great uncle?" Orothrim asked with a grin. A red carpet trailed from the doors till the Throne itself.

"Oh, don't call me that, call me Eragon if you will, King Orothrim." Eragon replied with a laugh, which was echoed by Arya. Saphira and Valinor seemed amused.

The king wore robes of deep purple, adorned with runes of the human language written in gold along it. He had no sword.

Orothrim nodded, then addressed Arya, though he didn't call her his great aunt, something which Eragon was deeply thankful for.

After Arya, Orothrim pleasantly conversed with the dragons, and they talked to him directly, which indeed was an honor to the king.

"So, Eragon, you are going to stay for a month or two, right?" Orothrim asked him eagerly, and Eragon smiled apologetically.

"I am sorry, Orothrim, but we are in hurry at the moment . . . it'll be better to discuss this in private." Eragon told him.

Orothrim raised an eyebrow and frowned for a while, then nodded, realizing what Eragon was saying. He nodded at the guards, who closed the doors, and Eragon hurriedly chanted the spell to stop people from eavesdropping on them, then said, "See here, a couple of days ago, a dragon and Rider from outside Alagaesia entered Ellesméra from the north." Eragon said, and Orothrim's eyes widened in surprise.

After a pause, Eragon continued, "They were followed by some Lethrblaka and Ra'zac. They were all foreign, except the dragon and Rider. They were Anurin and Garjzla, the predecessors of Vrael and Lenora…They are dead now."

Orothrim was dumbstruck at the moment, then he shuddered slightly and said, "Lethrblaka? And Ra'zac? . . . Not at all good, I know. Nothing but evil follows those beings. I understand that you are going to Ellesméra. I think I should have my patrols become stricter and arm the men, yes." Orothrim said, and Eragon nodded.

"Orothrim, listen to me . . . The Broddring kingdom has to be prepared as best as it can, this was just a warning to Alagaesia, the death of the previous Lead Rider and dragon. The avalanche is yet to come . . . you must alert everyone, including the Urgals, especially Yurgrovazh, and the dwarves. Orik must be prepared." Eragon told him. Orothrim nodded, though he seemed a little hesitant.

 _Little one, aren't you being a little hasty?_ Saphira asked Eragon, a little exasperated. Eragon replied in the same tone that she had used.

 _It is better to be safe, Saphira. I don't want to mourn anyone again, I have had enough of that to last me an eternity._ Eragon said.

 _Oh alright, what can I say, Eragon? You have Vrael, Anurin and Eragon the first's passed on knowledge, you should know what is right, I shouldn't._ Saphira told him crossly, and Eragon found it quite hard to keep his temper in check.

 _Saphira . . . I think we are arguing too much nowadays, we should reduce this._ Eragon told her, and she snorted.

 _Agreed . . . Now, get this over with._ Saphira told him.

"So, Orothrim . . . We'll take our leave now. But please, don't hold a feast or any such celebrations. Now is not the time, celebrations shall come soon, do not worry . . ." Eragon told him, and Orothrim seemed a little disappointed.

"Sure, Eragon. I shall see you at dinner then." Orothrim in a properly modulated voice.

Eragon stood at the window of his and Arya's room, watching Saphira and Valinor lying in the courtyard downstairs. Orothrim had insisted that they should not stay at the Dragon hold which was constructed in the center of the castle. Instead, he gave them the best rooms that were available, and Eragon and Arya ended up in a five roomed suite, with a kitchen, a living room, a sitting room, a dining room and a bed room. Like all the other parts of the castle, this suite was made in stone.

Eragon smiled at Saphira, who was apparently conversing with Valinor. The green dragon was staring up at the full moon, his eyes glistening, and Saphira was curled up away from him. Even as he watched, Valinor lay down on the ground and curled up as well, both the dragon looking away from one another, both immersed in the memories of their own mates. As the realization dawned upon him, Eragon remembered the things he had to discuss with Arya, and he had to discuss them with her right now.

He turned around and saw Arya sitting on the bed, which had a bed sheet of a deep shade of red, and a golden bedspread and similar blankets and few pillows. Their room was lavishly decorated as well, the type that Eragon didn't prefer to live in. Next to her bed was a table filled with bottles of drinks. Eragon didn't touch those, he had lost his taste for them quite a while back.

Arya was wearing a dark green gown, with lines of yellow color trailing around, the sight itself was quite beautiful, since those tendrils wove around each other continuously because of magic.

"Arya, I say it again, I still think you should be with Deaother, in Ellesmera, I-" Eragon began, and Arya cut him off again, successfully, something which annoyed him a lot.

"No, I am not going to stay in Ellesméra. I and Valinor are coming with you and Saphira, wherever you two go!" Arya told him quietly.

"We must decide this, and right now. I say, you should go to Deaother, he will be happy to have you around and he will keep you safe." Eragon said, and Arya, who had earlier had an entrancing smile, now threw him an intimidating scowl.

"I am not going . . . Are you enjoying infuriating me? That's what I can see, you know I won't leave you, so why try?" Arya asked him, and Eragon walked briskly to her side, he knew that improvisation would have to be used in this instance.

He came to her and kneeled next to the bed, holding her hand in his own. Arya raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on it.

"Arya . . . . You know things will be much easier for me if I know you are safe and sound. Don't you think you should listen to me in this?" Eragon asked her, and she smiled amusedly.

"Of course not, I know what you are saying Eragon, but what if something bad happens to me at Ellesmera as well, will you be able to forgive yourself then?" Arya asked him, and he stammered before replying properly.

"No, I won't! . . . But if you stay with Deaother, he-"

"Deaother doesn't want me to be with him, he probably thinks I'll pester and nag him to death, and embarrass him in front of all of his friends, especially Vaelia. Don't you know him well enough to understand that much?" Arya asked him and Eragon nodded slightly, then gave a long, deep sigh.

"Oh, alright . . ." Eragon said and Arya ruffled his hair.

"Nothing is going to happen to me, Eragon, as long as you are with me. Together, I am sure we can stand against anyone." Arya told him confidently, and he nodded and sat down next to her.

Though, it seemed hopeful, the North heard a rustle of leaves. Pain of another name crept closer, ever wary. Who knew what was in store for Alagaesia?

 _Pain . . ._


	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: A premonition told, and reunion**

Deaother stood in the very field where Garjzla had crashed a couple of days ago. The golden dragon's body was still there, being preserved by magic, and Anurin lay next to him.

Sunlight illuminated the dragon and the Rider, their faces seemingly calm and at rest, but their wounds still vivid. But they were not the only ones who had been killed in the attack.

 _Poor elves . . . they shouldn't have died, they were innocent._ Deaother sadly thought.

A few feet away lay the four elves that had been crushed by the Lethrblaka. Deaother had been greatly saddened when he had seen those dead elves, and in the last few days, his complete perspective of life had changed.

 _What meaning does it have, if we all can just die like this? One sword thrust . . . one bolt of an arrow, and we are dead. We can't return after that, tis' impossible._ Deaother thought, and the same thought had been running through his mind for the past few days. He was confused, and not even the century of wisdom that he had gave any explanation to his dilemma.

But he put those thoughts aside and looked around again. The Lethrblaka and Ra'zac were still there, they were too big to be moved. They were supposed to be burnt with normal fire, while a dragon would burn Garjzla.

 _That said my parents should be here soon now._ Deaother thought.

Dathedr could be seen standing there, staring sadly at the dead elves. As Deaother saw him, the King turned and beckoned Deaother closer, a sad look on his face.

 _Why does he want to speak to me?_ Deaother thought and walked towards him, smiling and nodding in reply to the grass green robed elf.

"King Dathedr, what is it that you wish to speak to me about?" Deaother asked him, and Dathedr stared at him for a while, then sighed.

"There are many things that we should speak about, Deaother-vodhr, but one of them is quite vital and urgent." Dathedr told him. Deaother raised his eyebrows, confused.

"It is a delicate matter, Deaother, it'll be better if this is kept within us. Do you agree?" Dathedr asked him. His words made Deaother curious and cautious at the same time. What could the king want to tell him that he didn't want others to know? Accepting his terms would mean that Deaother would have to bind himself to the secrecy of this topic for quite a long time. Deaother looked at the king, who was waiting for his reply.

 _If I do accept, he will tell me this delicate matter._ Deaother thought, and he was rather curious.

 _But then, I can't tell anyone else this . . . Why can't I?_ Deaother thought back. He argued the various reasons that could be possible, but he knew that he could not rest unless he understood what it was. His curiosity got the best of him.

"I agree, this conversation shall remain ours, no one else shall know of it." Deaother agreed. The king's face eased a bit, then he turned away and stared up at the sky. As he did, Deaother spotted Vaelia and Kielle a little away, looking at the dead elves with grief. Deaother, at first, felt that now Dathedr was reluctant to tell him what he had earlier wanted to tell him. But, he discarded the thought and kept staring at Vaelia, who hadn't seen Deaother yet.

" . . . . I had a premonition today, Eragonsson. And it was concerning myself, Vaelia . . . and you to some extent." Dathedr told him, and Deaother jumped back slightly, distracted out of his observation of Vaelia. But then, he reflected on the words the king had spoken, and he tensed a bit. He had not thought that the king would express such things to Deaother, it was a true surprise.

 _But then, what's the reason for asking to not tell anyone this?_ Deaother thought as he turned to the king, who was still staring at the sky.

It seemed that he king had known what Deaother would think, because he said, "I tell you this because it concerns all three of us, but Vaelia must not come to know of this." Dathedr continued.

"Sire . . . you can trust me." Deaother told him.

Dathedr smiled slightly at his words, then was silent for a while. He kept on staring at the sky. Deaother waited for him to say something, then he returned to watching Vaelia again. She was standing next to Garjzla and rubbing her soft fingers on his scales. Deaother thought she seemed quite beautiful in the teal tunic and maroon leggings she wore.

Deaother returned to the conversation when Dathedr said, ". . . I saw myself being . . . . killed in the premonition . . . I saw the entire vision through Vaelia's eyes, and you were with her, watching me from a distance . . . . . I was killed by about twenty of the Ra'zac, and about a dozen of them lay dead on the ground nearby . . . . In the end I was overwhelmed by them." Dathedr said so straightforwardly that Deaother was surprised. Surprised as he was, questions also leapt up in his mind. But he suppressed them for another time, except one.

"Sire, this might have been a dream, nothing else." Deaother told him. To his immense surprise, Dathedr laughed at his words, though his laugh itself was somber.

"A dream cannot be as real as life itself, can it? The elves have studied into this matter for ages, and I have verified through many means that this indeed was a premonition" Dathedr told him.

Deaother was dumbstruck, he couldn't reply, only gape at the elven king.

Dathedr continued a little sadly, "It was nighttime in the premonition. When you saw all this happening, you grabbed Vaelia's hand and led her away from the Ra'zac . . . . even though she was screaming at you to let her come back to me . . . you did the right thing. But then . . . you were both caught in the end, and that's where the dream ended. This was a premonition, of that I am sure, because I have got them several times before . . . . Through them, we can change the path that the future can take." Dathedr told him, and Deaother was still bowled over what he had heard.

"But Sire, how can this be true? Gilderien can stop them, can't he?" Deaother asked the King, who smiled at Deaother's face and tone of his voice.

"He can't stop everything, even though he may be quite strong and powerful . . . and that's why I am talking to you now . . . . I want to request something of you, Deaother." Dathedr said, and Deaother stared at him for a while.

"As a father, I care too deeply for Vaelia. Her mother left us a few years ago out of an ailment the elves were unable to cure . . . . I am the only one she has. I saw my own death today, and I don't want her to be alone . . . Will you be with her, and keep her happy?" Dathedr asked Deaother.

There was silence between them, since Deaother was dumbstruck. Dathedr had directly asked Deaother to be with Vaelia, should Dathedr be killed. And the conviction with which the king stated his own death was equally astounding. Deaother was confused, on one side he really wanted to get closer to Vaelia, but on another he was a little afraid of the fact that Vaelia might not appreciate the promise he was going to give Dathedr.

A few minutes passed, until finally Dathedr spoke, "Why do you hesitate? Do you not feel anything for my daughter?" The King had a really curious expression on his face.

 _What? Even he suspects that I have feelings for her?_ Deaother thought, feeling sheepish. But he jumped out of his thoughts when he saw the king's extremely curious face, but the king said after that, "I meant her safety and well being, do you not care about it?"

"Nothing like that, Sire, but I was just wondering what she would like it she learnt of the promise I am giving you . . . will she be furious or frustrated?" Deaother asked.

"Deaother, she won't be angry, do not worry. She talked to me about you the day before yesterday and told me how you saved her from that Ra'zac . . . I think you will be happy to be with her, and she you." Dathedr told him, and Deaother realized that the King had fairly guessed the feelings Deaother had for Vaelia. A huge step like this meant that Dathedr knew that Deaother would do his best to keep Vaelia safe from harm, and yearn to always see her happy. This meant that Dathedr knew of his infatuation, though Deaother couldn't guess how in any way.

Deaother had to accept now. A King didn't request you to do something everyday. He knew that it might create many complications, but in a way, he was getting what he dearly wished for.

"Aye, my king, I accept. I shall do my best to be with her and keep her safe and happy." Deaother said, fighting himself to keep a straight face, and nodded.

Eragon watched sadly as Saphira slowly descended down towards the field where the golden dragon and his Rider were. Eragon wasn't as surprised as the others to see them, but he was grieved.

The Rider had been one of Eragon's predecessors and Eragon had his knowledge within him. He was pained and sad by the fact that Anurin and Garjzla were dead. And, it had been a decades since a Rider and dragon had been killed. The last ones to die were Galbatorix and Shruikan.

 _It feels rather bad to see them like this._ Saphira said.

 _I feel the same, Saphira . . . I wish they wouldn't have been killed, then things would have been better, much better. But they did what they had to, I think._ Eragon told her.

 _What is that supposed to mean?_ Saphira asked him, and Eragon grew somber.

 _It means . . . they probably came here to warm us of the fact that Crugan is coming._ Eragon told her sadly.

 _Eragon . . . well, he had to come some day or the other, might as well be now._ Saphira said.

 _We have to tell all the monarchs this as soon as possible . . . The voice that I hear in my head keeps saying that-_ Saphira cut him off at that point.

 _Eragon, enough with that voice, I never hear anything._ Saphira told him a little angrily.

 _Saphira . . . We'll talk about this later, I can see Deaother and Dathedr over there._ Eragon told her, frustrated that she didn't believe him. Normally, this wouldn't be the case, but right now, Eragon couldn't understand anyway of making her believe that the voice he had heard was not his imagination, as she might have felt.

Saphira and Valinor descended slowly, and both the dragons stared at the golden one, pity and grief in their eyes. Their Riders gazed at the golden dragon and Rider, both were feeling sad.

 _If only Anurin and Garjzla would not have been killed, if only they would have survived . . . things might have been much better._ Eragon told Saphira again. She agreed, but they didn't speak as both the dragons landed. A little away, two elven maidens watched them in awe.

Saphira and Valinor landed on either sides of the golden dragon, and Eragon and Arya jumped off them. They looked around, and saw Deaother and Dathedr coming towards them, both of them rather gloomy.

After the formal greetings, Arya pulled Deaother aside while Eragon and Dathedr continued to speak.

"How are you, Deaother?" Arya asked him, tenderly looking up at his rugged face, and his tired eyes, which were red.

 _The hatchling has grown up quite a lot._ Saphira commented, and Deaother smiled.

 _Though you are still a hatchling in our eyes, just like the day you were born._ Valinor continued, and it was Arya's turn to smile.

"Mother, I am fine." Deaother said, and Arya stared at him for a while, studying him, then she threw him a sharp look.

"You are an utter mess!" Arya said exasperatedly, looking up at her son, who raised an eyebrow.

"Mother, I don't understand how come you feel something is wrong with me when I think I am fine." Deaother replied.

"That's the specialty of all mothers." Arya told him, and began to comb his hair. "You haven't rested in quite a while; don't lie to me, and tell me the reason for behaving like this." Arya said as Deaother moved away from her, stopping her from reaching his hair.

"I was just . . . disturbed by what all happened, that is why I couldn't rest." Deaother mumbled.

"Deaother, you should take better care of yourself, I am not around to fuss about you anymore." Arya told him. But Deaother spotted Vaelia and Kielle behind Arya, walking towards them.

"Mother, just let it be, I will rest today." Deaother said hurriedly as Vaelia got closer.

Arya raised an eyebrow at him, and Deaother nodded, "I will, I promise!" Deaother said.

"I suppose that is good enough.." Arya said, and looked around, following Deaother's gaze.

Vaelia and Kielle reached them after a few moments, and they greeted Arya respectfully, who replied appropriately.

"Mother, this Vaelia and Kielle . . ." Deaother said awkwardly after a couple of moments. Arya smiled pleasantly at them both.

"Well met . . ." Arya said, nodding, then patted Deaother on the shoulder and walked off.

Meanwhile, Eragon was kneeling next to Anurin's body, staring at his good natured face.

"The Ra'zac bit him at the back of his neck, and the other one stabbed him. It had some sort of poison coated to it, not Siethr Oil, and it slowly affected Anurin. The same was with Garjzla, though his wound was much deeper and he had been taking away Anurin's pain as well." Dathedr said.

Eragon ran a finger around the wound at the back of the elf's neck, his eyes poignant, then he stood up.

"And Eragon, he said that you would need aid in some war." Dathedr continued, and Eragon turned to him with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Eragon asked him.

"He said that we should tell the Lead Rider that Eragon would need aid in war . . . since you are Eragon and the Lead Rider, I suppose he meant you. But how did he know of you, he though Vrael was still alive." Dathedr said.

"I think . . . he meant that Eragon the first needs my aid in war." Eragon said slowly.

"Might be, I can't say." Dathedr told him.

 _Whatever it meant, I think you should alert the elves._ Saphira said.

"I will . . . I can sense the return of the past . . . Long have we rested and lazed, the time to protect ourselves has come again. We nearly lost ourselves, and Alagaesia's fate, once. It won't do so again, whoever our enemy might be." Dathedr said, while Eragon kept staring at Anurin's face.

 _Do you know what this means?_ Eragon asked Saphira.

 _Eragon . . ._ Saphira said as his turbulent emotions reached him.

 _We might have to go, and if we do, I hope we won't take Arya and Valinor with us._


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Beirland of more trouble**

 _Why is it so dark here?_

"Is the man bound tightly?" A cold voice rasped, and another person answered him.

"Yes, sir, I have tied his hands behind his back with the strongest knots I could make, blindfolded him and given him a good mashing up. He won't be groaning for a while, the little tyke." Another voice, which seemed warmer but frightened, replied.

 _Who are these people, how am I here?_ The prisoner thought. He strained his mind for any recollection of the incidents in the recent past, and slowly, everything came back to him.

The prisoner was Prince Angrenost, and he had been captured by Freohr at Beirland. But that wasn't where he was right now.

Two weeks had passed since that incident, and now, they were all on a ship, sailing steadily north.

"Is he awake?" The icy voice asked, and the other man replied hurriedly.

"No sir, I don't think so."

"Good, I hope he remains like this till we reach Sharktooth." The voice told the man, and then there was the sound of footsteps going out of the room.

 _Sharktooth?. . . We are in a boat? . . . We are heading north?_ Angrenost thought confusedly, then he felt someone untie the blindfold.

"Come on, good prince, wake up." A man said, and Angrenost opened his eyes. He was in the same clothes in which he had come to Beirland, and he was quite filthy. He now had a small beard, his face had several wounds, and was hardly recognizable as the handsome Prince of the Broddring Kingdom.

The man in front of him was fat, sweaty and seemed like a butcher, that's what his pink apron and light blue clothes gave an image of, along with his short black hair and pudgy face. But he wasn't a butcher, he was just the prison keeper, who kept a constant eye on Angrenost.

The past few days had been dark for the Prince. He had been put into an enchanted sleep for a week past, until he had been woken by Freohr, who had charged this fat man to get information out of Angrenost. The man would everyday repeat the same words and ask Angrenost a few questions of the Kingdom, and if Angrenost refused to answer, he would be beaten or worse.

Angrenost was kept in a small room in the ship, which had a bed made of dirty rags, a bucket of water and a plate in which food was served to him. There was no window in the room. A couple of candles illuminated it.

 _Not much of a Prince now, am I?_ Angrenost thought sulkily.

He opened his eyes slowly, and stared at the man in mock drowsiness. He was wide awake now, in fact, and was already thinking of anyway to escape. He could tackle this man and run for it, but his hands were bound at the moment, with some rope. If only he could find a way to cut it off, he might win himself a straight ticket out.

But it probably wasn't going to be so easy. Knocking out a man who is twice your weight needs a double checked plan, which Angrenost didn't have.

"Prince, I am going to ask you a few questions right now, and you better answer them. If you don't, I think you will find that your body will get twice the number of scars that I have. And the ones that I have number three and fifty, boy, so think about it." The man said, then drew a small knife. He smiled at it, while Angrenost scowled.

"Tell me, which is the weakest side of your Kingdom. North, south, east or west?" The man asked.

 _Weakest side? . . . Oh, bother, I'll just tell him the strongest side instead._ Angrenost thought.

"North!" Angrenost said, and the man raised an eyebrow. The capital was northernmost city of the Kingdom, and it was supposed to be the strongest city as well.

"Very well, which city has the most idiotic governor?" The man asked, and Angrenost deliberated again.

 _Narda has the biggest idiot for a governor . . . But the governor of Gil'ead is rather talented . . ._ Angrenost thought, overcoming the urge to sneer.

"Gil'ead." Angrenost answered with a nod, and the man smiled.

"Last question then . . . do you think I am a fool?" The pudgy man asked, fingering his knife. Angrenost cracked a smile on his face.

 _I don't think he is a fool, I know he is a fool . . ._

"No, I don't think so." Angrenost answered, and the man's smile widened.

"Good, good, I'll report this to Freohr . . . you stay put." The man said and stood up, leaving Angrenost to sit on the bed. Angrenost could have sworn he got a venomous look from the man just before he turned away. He walked towards the door, his heavy feet making the wooden floor protest with loud creaks. The door closed with a loud thud and Angrenost immediately stood up.

 _There has to be a way for me to cut these ropes . . . there has to be something that I can use in this room._ Angrenost thought and looked around.

The room had nothing sharp, the plate was a crude round shape, made of wood. The candles were, of course, made of wax, the bed was made of rags and the bucket was also wooden.

 _There has to be someway . . ._ Angrenost persisted.

He looked up at the roof, but only saw wood. There was nothing sharp, the men who had captured him had taken proper precautions considering him.

Angrenost kept on thinking of a way, then thought of brute strength in itself. If he could pull his hands hard enough in opposite directions, he could free himself in the simplest way. But he wasn't thinking straight. If Freohr's men had been clever enough to not place anything that would let Angrenost cut the ropes off, in his room, not even a shard of glass, then they would obviously have ensured that the ropes were thick enough to be able to hold against Angrenost's strength. Angrenost wasn't a very strong person, nor was he too agile. But, he was stronger than people faster than him, so he could fend off most of them, and he was faster than people stronger than him, so he could handle them as well. People meant humans and those who didn't use magic to enhance their physical strengths and speed.

Angrenost heaved with all his might, trying to break apart the ropes that held him. He kept on heaving until sweat began to roll down his forehead, but he couldn't even break a thread of the rope. It was too tightly bound and too strong.

Muttering all the foul curses and oaths that he knew, and making some of them up on the spot, Angrenost sat down on the bed again, reduced to hopelessness. He couldn't free himself, nor could he run. He was trapped, imprisoned, and now the seriousness of the situation began to dawn in him.

The Kingdom had a threat, and the threat had come from no-where, and it had the Prince. This was bad, truly bad. And there was nothing Angrenost could about it now, except bide his time and wait, and of course, weep.

 _I am sorry, father . . . I couldn't do anything._

 _Lenora . . . those crystals are not of a different color now, are they?_ Illeria asked.

She and Lenora were flying towards Eoam after two weeks of spending time away from their responsibilities.

Illeria had been frustrated and furious ever since Eragon had refused to accompany her and Lenora to Beirland. She had not journeyed to the Lead Rider just have her request rejected. And the matter had been important as well, wild magic did not change its properties all of a sudden after remaining the same for centuries.

She was still furious, but Lenora had consoled her in the past few days. They had spent the days on the sea shore, west of the Burning Plains, to which they had departed for directly after leaving Kuasta.

Now, they were back in Beirland, but instead of going towards the city first, they had decided to take a look at the crystals to check is they were still the same as before.

 _No . . . they have been restored to their previous colors again. That's odd . . ._ Lenora told her, and Illeria stared straight ahead from her dragon's back.

 _Odd? Its blithering nonsense! We saw that those crystals were of a different color, we saw that those crystals were black, and I saw a face in it as well. And now, they are all back to normal?_ Illeria asked incredulously.

 _Illeria, there is no need to get this angry. Calm down._ Lenora told her.

 _It is good that the Lead Rider didn't come with us, we would have seemed quite foolish indeed._ Illeria told her as they glided closer to those crystals.

 _Not just foolish, it would have been embarrassing as well, and a complete waste of time on Eragon's part._ Lenora said.

 _I know . . . though, I don't think he would have been frustrated._ Illeria said.

 _Shall we go to the city then?_ Lenora asked her, beginning to turn already.

 _I see no other alternative, let us go._ Illeria said.

They flew on towards the city in silence after that, exchanging emotions and feelings rather than words. As they flew past the rocky terrain, Illeria spotted smoke nearby.

 _Lenora, where is that coming from?_ Illeria asked her, squinting at the area from where it was arising.

 _I think . . . I think its coming from the city!_ Lenora told her in evident surprise, her voice holding back a sudden feeling of panic.

 _What? The city? . . . Hurry up, Lenora!_ Illeria said in haste as she herself spotted it, urging her dragon onwards.

They flew faster than any other being on that island, racing with the wind towards Beirland. The city slowly came closer, and Illeria realized that none of the buildings were on fire, but the people of the city were burning some things in several places on the streets, and yelling as well.

 _What is going on?_ Lenora asked, and Illeria replied soberly.

 _We have neglected our duty far too long . . . not a good thing._

As the silver dragon drew closer, the citizens heard the flapping of its wings, and they looked up at then in rage and fear.

"They are back! The monsters are back!" A terrified voice screamed.

In that instant, shrieks of panic and bawls of rage leapt up from the citizens, who grabbed bows, arrows, rocks or anything that they could use to throw at the dragon.

"Kill them! Make them flee!" One man shouted.

"They cannot dominate us anymore! We are not slaves to be eaten by the dragons!" Another fellow yelled.

Soldiers climbed the buildings to reach the rooftops, all wearing a rather awkward armor and wielding weird bows.

"Death to them! Let us give them a gift from death itself!" The soldiers bellowed. Bows twanged in a chorus, which was followed by yells from people as they threw things at Lenora, although none of them reached her.

Lenora roared as a few arrows struck her body, while she guarded her heart with her foreleg. Illeria looked at the city in horror, unable to believe what she was seeing.

The people wanted her and Lenora to leave; they considered them 'monsters' and thought Lenora would eat them.

"We are not monsters!" Illeria screamed at them, and she got a huge retaliation with arrows.

 _This is insane! . . . Lenora, fly away! We can't go to the city, these people won't listen to us._ Illeria told her dragon, who was swerving away as it was.

Lenora didn't reply, she just flew away from the island, while Illeria looked back in surprise. Behind them, curses and oaths of the worst nature were thrown at them along with stones.

The people of Beirland had betrayed Alagaesia, but why? That was a question the dragon and Rider had in their mind at the moment, but both were hell bent on surviving and getting away from Beirland rather than trying to decipher why.

Freohr had left his mark.


	30. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: Arguments and Conversations**

Eragon stood in Oromis's house, watching Arya lying by the bank of the brook. He smiled at her. Saphira was snorting, while Valinor was bathing in the cool stream.

The past few days had certainly been hectic, Anurin and Garjzla's bodies had been preserved by the elves, because it had been decided that Eragon himself would inform all the monarchs of the present situation, and show them the bodies of the golden dragon and his Rider. The meeting was going to be held that evening, and Eragon was still feeling a little nervous as to how he would reveal about Crugan to all of monarchs. There would be an intense explanation needed for it, and Eragon knew he would get shouted at by someone or the other.

He still hadn't mentioned to Arya what he felt about Anurin's last words or his suspicion that he would have to leave Alagaesia and go to Eragon the First, wherever he was.

Right now, he was planning on ruining his, Arya's and Valinor's morning by telling them all this. Saphira was adamant that she wanted to be reunited with Thorn as soon as possible, so Eragon had promised her that they all would leave for Doru Araeba by the end of the week, or sooner.

 _Go on, tell her!_ Saphira said, and nudged Eragon with her snout, making him stumble.

 _Wait, let me think this through._ Eragon told her, and she growled.

 _No! We don't have time, go to her and be honest about it. I don't want any deception, Eragon._ Saphira told him, and he turned around and scowled at her furiously.

 _It's not easy! This is the second time in this month that I am going to be shouted at by her._ Eragon told Saphira, who growled.

 _Coward!_

 _Easy for you to say, Thorn doesn't shout at you, but you and Arya, both yell at me._ Eragon told her, but even as he said it, he couldn't help but let a smile come to his face.

 _That's just your bad luck, nothing else. Now go!_ Saphira ordered him, and Eragon turned around reluctantly.

 _Okay . . . I think you better retreat from me a bit, the shouting won't reach you mentally as well, then._ Eragon told her, and Saphira snorted again. She knew he wanted privacy while talking to his mate.

 _Very well._

Eragon turned to Arya, who was wearing a nice, lilac dress and was now sitting next to the brook, her knees clasped to her chest with her arms wrapped around them, and her chin placed on her knees.

Eragon walked towards her slowly, smiling as he did. Arya looked just the same she had seemed all those years ago, when she and Eragon were returning to the Varden from Helgrind, and Eragon had asked her about Faolin. She seemed to be just as delicate as then, but more powerful and wiser than before.

Eragon walked over to her and sat down in front of her, noticing that she had her eyes closed and was probably meditating. He sat down, cross legged and stared at her for a while as she kept her eyes closed. He could feel her mind brushing against his, then entering his mind as well, studying his thoughts and emotions.

 _Eragon, what is it that you want to say, but you wish you wouldn't have to?_ Arya asked him as he stared at her beautiful face with caring eyes. He knew he couldn't hide anything from her any longer, and thought it best to get straight to the point, rather than beating about the bush.

 _A few things . . . Arya, Anurin told Dathedr and Deaother something just before he died._ Eragon said, then inched closer to her.

"Arya, listen to me, he said that Eragon the first needs aid in war, and that I must go and help him." Eragon said, and she opened her eyes, staring at him as he sat in front of her.

As he had expected, downright surprise emanated her face, and her expression changed from shock, to fear, to a stern look, "How can you help him? You don't even know where he is . . . Nor do you know where Anurin came from." Arya told him, but Eragon just nodded.

"I don't, but . . . Heslant must know it!" Eragon said, and suddenly stood up, beginning to pace around. As he said those words, all the pieces of the puzzle seemed to have got into their perfect places, and the problems seemed to have been solved on their own.

"That's it! That is what he knows, and that is what he needs to tell us . . . How can he know though?" Eragon thought, suddenly bewildered. Crugan had left Alagaesia long before Heslant's time.

Ignoring Arya's confused look, Eragon continued talking, "But that does not diminish the fact that he is my great uncle, and that we must find him!"

"Eragon, think for a bit, and you'll realize half of what you said was nonsense. I really doubt that Heslant knows where this . . . Crugan is, and that you must risk everything to find him." Arya told him, and Eragon turned to her exasperatedly.

"I am not risking everything! I am just saying that we should find him, and we know that he is in Teirm, so why should we hesitate now?" Eragon asked Arya, who scowled.

"What about Deaother? He needs us right now!" Arya said, and Eragon frowned.

"He doesn't . . . Oh fine, he does." Eragon said hurriedly when Arya threw him a furious look. Eragon stared at her as she glowered at him, and he knew exactly what to say to convince her to let him go.

"He needs you, Arya, more than me. You can stay here, while I-"

"Don't even think about it!" Arya told him sharply, and Eragon clenched his fist, annoyed.

"Then, what alternative do you have?" Eragon asked her, staring at her, while she stared back with great intensity. Brown and green eyes bored into each other, but Eragon was forced to turn away after a few minutes.

"Stay here, with Deaother, and not go anywhere else." Arya said. Eragon bit back a frustrated oath and a curse.

Meanwhile, the dragons flew off in the distance, least bothered with the petty arguments of the mates. As far as they were concerned, they knew that their Riders would tell them everything once their discussion was over, until which it would be best to leave them alone.

"No, Arya, if we do that then Crugan might as well walk into Alagaesia and receive a grand welcome with a load of white roses." Eragon told Arya, who got a frustrated look on her face then.

"Fine, what is it that you want to do?" Arya asked Eragon, who stared at her for a while, then turned away.

"I want to find Heslant, learn where Crugan is . . . Then I and Saphira will head for that place." Eragon told Arya finally.

"You and Saphira? . . .What about both your mates?" Arya asked him, and Eragon settled right next to her, a sad smile coming to his face. Arya knew what he was going to say by just looking at his expression, and she knew that she was not going to accept it in the least.

"They will have to stay here . . . ." Eragon told her, and she stared at him for a while, until she turned away and began to stare at the flowing stream in front of them.

That was one of the most awkward silences they ever had, since both did not want to elaborate on what Eragon had just said. Neither wanted to leave the other, but neither wanted to hurt the other as well. They wanted each other to be safe, but they knew that the both of them would be far from safe in the near future.

"No, I will not stay here . . . I will come with you, wherever you go, and so will Valinor." Arya said, and Eragon hurriedly began to argue but she cut him off.

"You cannot dissuade me . . . and I can't leave you. Do you think I will be happy to be without you?" Arya asked him, and Eragon shook his head. The experiences a century ago had taught them both that they needed each other. Without one another, they were incomplete and lifeless.

"I won't be happy to be away from you either, but-"

"Then, the answer is simple . . . I am being too protective on Deaother's part, I know he can take care of himself. Even now, he is living alone in the Tialdari Hall and the two of us are here, at your house . . . I will come with you Eragon, and be by your side wherever you go. You know that." Arya said, and Eragon smiled at her words. It was one truth that they both shared. Pure, irrevocable love.

"I do . . . but I'd rather have you stay here, you'll be safe." Eragon told her, though he wished nothing more than for her to come with him, wherever he went.

"No, I am not staying here. I will come . . . Give up, my love; you cannot force me to stay." Arya told him with a laugh.

". . . . I have given up."

Deaother stood by the gardens of the Tialdari Hall, watching an elf levitating a dense sphere of water above his hand, in the sunlight. As he watched, the elf began whispering something in the Ancient Language, and the sphere gradually became smaller and smaller.

The elf raised the sphere towards the sun, and when the the light passed through the sphere, it split into seven other colors, the colors of a rainbow, which struck the white stone on the ground. The elf smiled at his success.

Then, from the side, he spotted Vaelia coming towards him in a bright blue tunic and maroon leggings.

Deaother stared at her as she came close enough, and nodded, to which she beamed in return.

"How are you, Deaother? You did rest today, didn't you?" Vaelia asked him and Deaother raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I did . . . just because I promised I would." Deaother replied dully. He had been forced to sleep because he had promised Arya that he would rest that day. Normally, he wouldn't have bothered, which had become a habit of his now.

"Deaother, are you so bothered by the fact that you slew a Ra'zac, that you can't relax?" Vaelia asked him, knowing the answer as it was. Deaother followed Vaelia as she began to walk ahead of him, heading for the gates of Tialdari Hall.

"I am . . . I just don't feel right about it! I hate being a murderer, even though it was just a Ra'zac that I slew." Deaother told her. Even after what Eragon had told him, Deaother was still distressed and disgusted at his actions. He would now and then remember, at night as he slept, how the hilt of his sword had crushed the Ra'zac's skull, how it had given way beneath the pommel.

"Deaother, I told you, forget about it. Or, at least stop dwelling on it." Vaelia said, turning to him, and he looked at her as well.

"I am trying, but my mind just turns to it exactly when I wish for it to not do so. It's really frustrating and distracting." Deaother said, placing his hand on his forehead, his fingers running through his brown hair. They had both stopped walking then.

Vaelia stared at the elf in front of her, feeling rather empathetic for Deaother. She knew what he was going through, but she just couldn't understand what was so bad about it. He had done it to protect her, and he had done the right thing. The Ra'zac were evil creatures, they deserved to be killed. But then, why did his actions have such an effect on him. In the past few days, Deaother's humor had all but vanished, and he had become quite serious and blunt. His behavior had changed as well, he was almost always straight to the point.

A hand grabbed Deaother's wrist slowly, and pulled his hand away from his forehead. Its touch was soft and kind, and Deaother could feel those cold fingers grabbing his attention. They could not be overlooked or ignored by him, even if he would have tried.

He looked up, and stared right into Vaelia's black eyes, which seemed to be glowing.

"Deaother, the only way I see to help you out of this is to make you see sense . . . Why did you kill the Ra'zac?" Vaelia asked him, holding his wrist gently.

"To stop it from getting to you." Deaother replied instantly, he had said those words to himself several times before.

"What would have happened if you would not have done it?" Vaelia asked him, and Deaother sighed. He knew the answer.

"You would not be here now . . . I know that." Deaother said, but Vaelia did not stop there. She let go of his wrist, but kept looking at him, their eyes boring into each others.

"What would you prefer? To have me here, or to have the Ra'zac here in my place?" Vaelia asked him, and Deaother jumped suddenly. It was a rather bland and awkward question.

"Of course I would have preferred to have you here, Vaelia, but-"

"That's all you need to know . . . I am alive, and I am happy. You saved me, then there's nothing else to worry about . . . Do you understand? Now stop drooling over the past, and concentrate on the present." Vaelia told Deaother, who just seemed confused.

But he decided that it was better to just leave the matter to rest and talk about something else. He didn't want to understand what she had said, but the fact that she wanted to help him was quite a comforting feeling, and it did ease away most of his stress.

They walked in silence for some more time, going around the nearly deserted hall.

"Vaelia, I have noticed that my parents are behaving rather different with me all of a sudden . . . I mean, they just left me here without any reluctance and flew off to their home at the Crags of Tel'naeir. I think they are both hiding something from me." Deaother concluded, and Vaelia raised an eyebrow.

"Why would they hide something? And anyway, it might have something to do with the Riders." Vaelia told him, and he nodded. Rider 'business' was what Deaother kept himself away from, since it was not his but his father's responsibility.

"I am sure that they will treat you the same way as they used to after their problems, if any exists, are solved for good. Don't let it perturb you." Vaelia told him, and Deaother nodded.

They set off outside the Tialdari hall, heading no where in particular but just enjoying each other's company.

"Deaother, can I ask you something?" Vaelia asked him after a moment of silence as they walked past another huge pine tree.

A couple of elves were stroking a giant bear to the side, muttering, "We won't harm you, you need not fear. You are welcome in here whenever you wish to come."

"Of course Vaelia, what is it?" Deaother asked her. They reached a small stream, which was so clear, Deaother could see its rocky bed, covered with stones smooth and of different colors.

"Have you ever . . . ever thought of having a mate?" Vaelia asked him, and Deaother jumped.

 _Mate? No . . . I haven't exactly thought on that matter so much, except when I can't get to sleep. That, and Vaelia is the only one whom I'd like to mate at the moment, but I can't tell her that. It'd be a thrice blasted, stupid thing to do._ Deaother thought. He absent mindedly stepped into the stream, mud rising under his shoes.

"Not much . . . I don't think I am ready right now . . . maybe a few years later." Deaother said, thinking about his mental conditions at the moment, and Vaelia stared at him with a little surprise.

"I see." She said and turned away, staring upstream. A silence followed, which Deaother found quite daunting to break. He hoped he wouldn't say something stupid, since this was a quite delicate matter which he knew he'd have to escape with caution and tender care.

"Have you ever thought of it?" Deaother asked her. She turned to him, her hair streaming behind her, and stared at him impassively.

"The only person I thought I'd like to mate, well. . . I'd rather not think on that topic for some time now." Vaelia said, and Deaother nodded.

Just then, soft footsteps could be heard coming towards them. Deaother and Vaelia both looked around to see Worian, who was wearing a thick black cloak, and other clothes which seemed to suggest that he was going to be traveling. He had a hood pulled up, and Deaother couldn't see his eyes, but he did recognize the elf.

"Deaother . . . can I have a word with you, please?" He asked him, while not quite meeting his eyes.

Deaother stared at Worian, then looked at Vaelia, who was staring at him. Deaother turned back to him and said, "Of course."

"Then come with me." Worian said and began walking to the right, into the brambles that covered the side of the stream.

Deaother walked after him, while Vaelia stood back and stared at them apprehensively.

They walked for a while, until Vaelia was out of sight, following the stream, then Worian stopped and took a good look around, as if looking for eavesdroppers.

"Deaother, before I say anything you must promise me that you won't tell anyone what I am going to tell you . . . agreed?" Worian asked him awkwardly.

"Agreed." Deaother replied, his curiosity, roused as it was, would not have allowed any other answer.

"I am leaving Ellesméra . . . I am going to Nädindel, away from here." Worian told him, and Deaother raised his eyebrows.

"Why?"

"Because I can't stay here, not after . . ." Worian faltered, then paused for a while, his fingers curled into fists. But somehow, he continued speaking. "Let me be frank, whatever Kielle told you about me not liking Vaelia is not true in the least. Deaother . . . I love Vaelia, I love her a lot. But, will she be happy with me in the first place? She won't, and I know it! You are a much better person for her." Worian said, and Deaother jumped.

"W-What?"

 _He loves her? But he isn't asking her to be his mate . . . He is either a fool, or he is quite noble . . . It might be both._ Deaother thought.

"I . . . know you will keep her happy, Deaother, that is why I am leaving , so that I don't become an intrusion, or a distraction between the two of you. It won't be painful, or inconvenient for you . . . I don't have much time, I have to meet my father as well. Just . . . keep her safe and happy. After those Lethrblaka came in, I really think that, well, things might become ugly once more . . . Hope they don't." Worian said.

Deaother stared at him, and Worian just smiled, then nodded and walked off without a word. Slowly a smile came to Deaother's face as well. It might have been good fortune, but things were turning out directly in Deaother's favor, though he didn't realize that.

"May the stars watch over you then, Worian-vodhr." Deaother stated.

Worian looked back and nodded, "Over you as well, Deaother-vor."

Both the elves were now at peace with each other, their scores settled, but far away, another elf grew even more tensed. He hoped that what he wished to accomplish would be done so as soon as possible. He had no time to waste, darkness was spreading once more. Its turbulent waves would drown them all if he did not act soon. The weight of the entire world pressed his shoulders, and he was determined to not fail.

 _Eragon!_


	31. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: A Meeting of discussions**

Eragon sighed.

The meeting with the other monarchs had begun, and he was standing with King Dathedr in front of three mirrors. One showed Orik, the other showed Yurgrovazh, the current Urgal chief, and the third one had King Orothrim. Their room was in the King's quarters, but had only three couches, a table and half a dozen mirrors kept in a circular manner so that all those people who were present on them could see the others as well.

They had just been discussing Anurin's coming to Alagaesia, and Orik had said that it was quite an unexpected arrival. Orothrim had been silent, while Dathedr had deliberated more on the topic, and had also told them that the Lethrblaka had been chasing the dragon and Rider.

"One of the worst things that could've happened was this, his unexpected arrival." Orik stated.

"I agree with you, Orik, it might have been much better if we would have any warning of him coming. But there was no time. Garjzla was quite a fast dragon, and Gilderien couldn't stop them from the North. Not quite before they were well inside Ellesméra." Dathedr replied.

"Very well . . . what about their bodies, and how were they killed?" Yurgrovazh asked.

At that point, Eragon stood up, determined to finally reveal the secret that he had kept hidden from most of them for the past century. As he did, the others looked at him curiously.

"My friends . . . there is something I have to say." Eragon said, staring at all of them.

"Alagaesia is not safe . . . and it hasn't been safe for the past century either." Eragon stated, and all of them nearly jumped.

"What are you saying?" Was the immediate reply from Orik.

Eragon sighed once more and stared at the dwarf king.

"I have to confess this honestly . . . A century ago, when I and Saphira chased after Galbatorix and Shruikan, we didn't fight them. They surrendered and, we talked . . . Galbatorix revealed to me several things. First and foremost was that just before Vrael ascended to the post of Lead Rider, a great war between the Riders and a Shade named Crugan had ravaged Alagaesia. The war had been between The Riders and their dragons against the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka who were supporting that Shade." Eragon said.

Dathedr was calm, Orothrim was tensed but silent. Orik seemed astounded, his eyes were wide, and Yurgrovazh was staring at Eragon in disbelief.

"The name of the Shade is Crugan, or as he calls himself now . . . Burthr abr Andlat, Birth of Death." Eragon said. Dathedr cringed slightly at his words, Orothrim got a sad look. Orik just gaped at him, while Yurgrovazh tapped the hilt of his huge sword, which seemed like a claymore.

"What happened of the Shade?" Orik asked after a few minutes of silence.

"He lost the war . . . so he fled from Alagaesia. I don't know where, but Eragon the first and Anurin chased after him, and Vrael became the Lead Rider." Eragon told him, and revelation dawned upon the dwarven and elven kings faces, and upon the Urgal chief's as well. Orothrim already knew all this, so he just nodded.

"But then . . . Anurin returned to us, yes?" Yurgrovazh said, and Eragon nodded.

"He also conveyed a message to King Dathedr, just before he died . . . Eragon the first needs aid in war. More particularly, he needs my aid . . . As soon as I find out where he is, I am going to go and join him. But, I am not going take too many people with me, just myself, Saphira, Arya and Valinor, along with some troops of all the races, if it is agreeable to you all . . . is it?" Eragon asked them and the leaders stared at each other.

It wasn't an easy demand that Eragon had made, to take elves, men, dwarves and Urgals with him to some foreign land about which none of them knew anything. But then, they all owed some allegiance to the Lead Rider. Orik was Eragon's foster brother, Orothrim was Eragon's great, grand nephew. Thanks to Eragon, the Urgals had been left alone to prosper, and had not been eradicated as Garzhvog had feared. They owed Eragon in that sense as well. And it had been because of Eragon that Dathedr was the king at the moment, otherwise Eragon himself would have been the king in his place.

But Eragon wasn't bent on taking advantage of any of those things. The idea didn't even cross his mind, though it did cross the minds of the others.

Eragon just waited in silence as the leaders determined their decisions. He just hoped that it would not be too much to ask.

"So, Eragon, you are planning to be on your own, with Arya and both your partners in this? Not counting the troops of course. There won't be any other person of importance with you?" Dathedr asked.

Eragon nodded, "No, there won't be any other monarch or leader other than me and Arya. We will be the only two Riders, and Saphira and Valinor will be the only two dragons."

"Well then, how many elves do you require?" Dathedr asked him with a contented smile. He was ready to place as many elves under Eragon's command as the Rider wished.

Eragon smiled as well, "A hundred and fifty would suffice, because I am planning to take fifty more from Doru Araeba . . . Can all the leaders grant me just hundred and fifty of their capable troops? I shall take the remaining from the dwarves, Urgals and men already under my command." Eragon said.

Orik nodded, as did both the other leaders.

"You shall have them, Eragon, I promise. They shall set forth for the place you specify in a week's time." Orik said, and Eragon nodded gratefully.

"From me as well, they shall come to your specified place." Yurgrovazh promised.

"Well . . . Can they come to Tierm?" Eragon asked them, and Orothrim smiled.

"They can . . ." Orothrim said.

All the other leaders agreed as well, and Eragon smiled. Things had gone just as he had planned for them to go. But just then, Saphira's voice burst into his mind.

 _Little one . . . we need to talk._

Eragon walked up to the sapphire dragoness, wondering what she wanted to talk about. She had never asked him to come to her so solemnly, and her voice had hardly lacked energy when she was fit and fine.

Eragon was curious.

Saphira was lying outside Tialdari hall, and the elves were greeting her as they passed, to which she replied with a nod or growl.

 _Yes Saphira?_ Eragon asked her as he came close enough.

 _Get on._ Saphira said, and stood up, unfurling her wings.

Eragon did, clambering onto her back with one leap from her fore leg. He settled behind the neck spike, which he held tightly.

 _Saphira, what is this about?_ Eragon asked her, but she took off in reply. Valinor was nowhere to be seen, but Eragon assumed that he was spending time with his son, Phiole.

They swirled above the pines, and Saphira turned to the direction of the crags, her wings flapping powerfully. Clouds gathered above them, silver and gray in color. It was going to be a rainy day.

 _Saphira?_

 _Eragon . . . are you sure . . . . do we really have to leave Alagaesia?_ Saphira asked him, hiding her emotions from him for some reason.

 _Yes, why?_

 _Arya and Valinor will be coming with us?_ Saphira asked him.

 _Aye, my good dragon._

 _Then you will have your mate with you . . . while I and Valinor shall be bereft of our own mates._ Saphira told him, and the truth immediately struck Eragon. As it did, a wave of pity and guilt swept through him and to Saphira, who growled.

 _I-I am sorry I didn't consider that, Saphira. I just-_

 _You just thought it would be a vacation where we would go to some unknown place for an hour or two and come back? . . . Well, did you?_ Saphira asked him, her voice extremely loud in his head.

 _Calm down Saphira._ Eragon said, but his words just made her angrier.

 _No! Answer me right now!_

 _I didn't think of it that way, this journey might take days, weeks or months._

Maybe years as well! Is that what you want? For me to be separated from Thorn for so long?

Saphira asked him angrily.

The barrier that had been holding back her emotions finally shattered, and her feelings came bursting out into Eragon, like water bursting out from a broken dam. Multitudes of intermixed emotions washed over him; fear of losing Thorn, reluctance of leaving Thorn, hesitance to not listen to Eragon, anger at Eragon for making such a decision which gave her two choices: Thorn or Eragon.

 _No, I don't . . . I just . . . Saphira . . . I won't force you to do anything, I mean it. If you don't want to come with me then don't . . . if you want to stay with Thorn then do it. I have no say in the matter._ Eragon told her.

Quite unexpectedly and abruptly, Saphira roared loudly. Eragon raised his hands to his ears as his entire body vibrated with the strength and amplitude of the sound.

 _Saphira!_

 _Eragon you are such a fool!_ Saphira said, and Eragon jumped slightly at her words. They could see Eragon's house straight ahead, and Valinor was lying near it.

Saphira dived suddenly, going lower and lower, until she finally landed between a few pines. She landed roughly on her paws, and ordered Eragon to get down.

Eragon obeyed, clambering down and standing a few yards away from her as she stood in front of him, rather restless.

 _Eragon, do you really think I will stay here while you go away from me? Do you think I will be able to bear the pain? Again, you are making me choose between you and Thorn . . . And I don't know who I can choose._ Saphira told him, smoke coming out of her snout.

Eragon just stared at her, studying her emotions. It was quite anomalous for him to see her in such a state.

 _You . . . will have to choose on your own Saphira, you can't have both of us together in this. Eragon told her._ Saphira didn't respond to him, instead kept staring at him with her lustrous eyes.

 _Whom should I choose? . . . I don't know Eragon, I don't know. I love both of you, and I don't want to leave either of you . . . Can't we just stay here, and_ \- Eragon interrupted her at that very instant.

 _No, Crugan has to be stopped! We don't know what he is capable of, but a thousand years ago he managed to wage a war against the Riders, and escape when there were three Lead Riders against him . . . He evaded Eragon the first, Anurin and Vrael, and all three of them were together._ Eragon told her seriously.

Saphira folded her wings, but kept staring at him sadly. _I . . . will have to discuss this with Thorn._

Please do.

Eragon told her, then walked closer to her.

Saphira settled, her head lying on the ground, and her eyes full of doubt and indecision. Eragon could understand her predicament, but there was nothing he could do about it.

 _Saphira . . . just calm down . . . relax._ Eragon told her. He reached her large, sparkling head, and stroked it lovingly. Saphira's lip twitched.

 _I can't, you have put me in such a problem . . ._ Saphira told him, and Eragon grabbed the edge of her wing and raised it. He sidled under it and settled next to her warm belly, quite content to be there.

 _I didn't do it intentionally, Saphira, you must understand that . . . I would never do that._ Eragon said.

 _When can we leave, Eragon?_ Saphira asked him, and Eragon deliberated on it.

 _When do you wish to leave?_

Tonight?

I'll see if we can do that. If not tonight, then I am sure we can leave tomorrow morning.

Eragon promised her, and Saphira growled in agreement. She arched her neck under her wing, close to Eragon, who leaned forward and hugged her neck.

The Rider and dragon lay there for several more hours, both awake but just dwelling in each other's deep thoughts. Reluctance filled the air, along with guilt. But love was also present. Soon, it would be revealed whether the love of a Rider or the love of a mate would prevail.


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Mates of Decisions

 _Valinor?_ Arya asked, but Valinor just growled in reply.

They were flying towards Doru Araeba in the north, and were intending to head for Tierm from there, without pausing anywhere. Eragon had discussed the plan with Murtagh and Nasuada the previous day, and the dragons had been extremely pleased with the fact that they were going to be reunited with their mates.

But the pleasure had just broken down into rage and sadness for Valinor when he had been informed that they might be separated for a much, much longer time than this one.

 _Valinor, I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do about it._ Arya told him, but the dragon didn't reply. He just continued to fly on along with Saphira. They were flying over the sea, and were just a few hours away from Vroengard.

Valinor was furious, because without his consent it had been decided that he and Draumr would be separated. He refused even to talk to Arya, though it had not been her decision. His silence was quite painful, and Arya was trying to make him talk to her even now.

 _See Valinor, if you remain silent then how will I know-_

 _Don't treat me like a child, Arya._ Valinor told her angrily.

 _I am not treating you like a child, Valinor, but I can't bear it when you are silent . . . you are my dragon._ Arya told him, and Valinor shook his head. His mind was almost completely shielded from her, except a little bit through which they were talking.

 _So? Does that mean you can make me do whatever you wish?_ Valinor asked her.

 _Of course it doesn't, but . . . it's just that I love you so much, I can't bear it when you treat me like this._ Arya told her dragon.

 _Now you might realize what a torture it becomes for Eragon when you stop talking to him . . . And what a torture it will be for me when I won't be able to hear Draumr's voice, or even see her._ Valinor stated loudly.

 _I do realize it . . . please Valinor, try to understand-_

 _Why can't Eragon, Saphira, Murtagh and Thorn go? Or the two of us and Nasuada and Draumr? Valinor asked her, and she fell silent. Answer me, why can't they go?_ He pressed on.

 _Because then . . ._ Arya began, but Valinor interrupted her again.

 _Because then you and Eragon will be separated, and Murtagh and Nasuada will be separated, isn't it?_ Valinor said.

 _It . . . It will be the same case as it is now, only then you dragons will have your mates and we will be deprived of our mates._ Arya answered, and Valinor agreed.

 _We have to choose either one among them . . ._ Valinor said.

 _What will you choose?_ Arya asked him, and Valinor fell silent.

It was quite a difficult question, the one which Arya had asked. Valinor was in a dilemma now. Would he choose to sadden himself and be separated from his mate, or sadden Arya and have her be separated from Eragon. Either case would bring both of them sadness.

He could see only one way out of this situation, and it was to trust someone better.

 _I'll follow the decision Saphira takes, after I discuss this with Draumr . . . that will decide what I choose._ Valinor said.

Hours passed, and the dragons arrived at Doru Araeba. They flew towards the thick, high walls of stone, and the guards hailed them. But the dragons were not planning to enter Doru Araeba completely. They would leave their Riders at the gates, and would fly off towards the woods with their mates.

Saphira dived, alongside Valinor, and landed outside the gates.

 _Eragon . . . I will discuss that matter with Thorn, but I can't say for sure . . ._ Saphira told him, and Eragon nudged her mind gently.

 _Its fine. . . But it will be better if you decide soon, we don't have much time._ Eragon told her.

Saphira growled and Eragon got off slowly, as did Arya.

Two roars above them signified the coming of Thorn and Draumr, and Saphira roared happily in response, as did Valinor. They had decided to meet outside the city, and lie down in their most favorite spot on the island, where there would be peace and quiet and they would be able to talk without interruptions.

One of the reasons why Saphira was truly apprehensive was the fact of Thorn's eldunari. If they decided that they would have to get separated, then Thorn would probably insist for her to take his eldunari. That way, they would both remain in touch. But Saphira could not see any way for Valinor and Draumr to talk. She discarded the feeling for the moment, since there was truly nothing she could do about it.

 _I'll see you later, Eragon._ Saphira told him, and took off with a huge leap, flying towards Thorn as fast as she could.

Thorn growled and dived at her, happiness stretched across his face in a wide grin.

Thorn pulled out of the dive just it time, and Saphira flapped her wings upwards, and they both collided, though it seemed more like they were hugging each other in mid air. Thorn growled happily again, and Saphira roared.

On the other side, Valinor licked Draumr's face, beaming with happiness.

 _I missed you a lot . . ._ Thorn told her as they broke apart, and Thorn circled her while she remained in the same place.

 _I missed you as well. How are you, my mate?_ Saphira asked him as he revolved around her once and came to a stop in front of her.

 _I am fine, Saphira, and you seem to be fine as well._ Thorn said, and Saphira nodded.

 _Although . . . I can tell something is gnawing at the happiness you are feeling._ Thorn continued, and Saphira gave a small nod again. Thorn was able to interpret her feelings as well as she was able to interpret his. She was proud of the fact, how much they loved each other.

 _I think we better discuss this somewhere on the ground . . . I am tired, and I'd rather speak of it when I am comfortable . . . follow me._ Saphira told him and flapped off suddenly, lightly smacking his face with her wing.

Thorn growled and followed.

The two dragons flew on west; Valinor and Draumr were nowhere to be seen then. They had probably flown off to their own favorite place on the island.

The both of them flew for a while, and Saphira could see the sea ahead of her. That is where she was headed, to the sea shore. The soothing sound of the waves was quite comforting to her and to Thorn as well.

 _So, Saphira, how was your stay in Carvahall, and in Ellesméra? Is it really true about Anurin and Garjzla?_ Thorn asked her as she flew on ahead of him.

 _Yes . . . it is true. They are both dead, and Garjzla is huge. Larger even than Lenora had been._ Saphira told him, comparing Garjzla's size to the size of Lenora, who had been Vrael's dragon.

 _I see, and what were those last words he spoke? Deaother mentioned something about them._ Thorn asked her, and Saphira felt apprehension and dread gnaw at her belly and her mind. Thorn must have realized that it was the topic she wanted to discuss about, and he didn't say anything more as she didn't reply for a while.

 _His last words meant something quite different than what Deaother thought they meant . . . Anurin didn't know of mine and Eragon's existence until the last few moments of his life. Until then, he knew only of one Eragon, Eragon the first, who was his friend._ Saphira said finally, as they passed the valley between the hills and came closer to the sea.

 _That means that, he meant Eragon the first needed our aid in war? That was unexpected._ Thorn agreed.

 _Unexpected and surprising. And well . . . Eragon is sure that we would have to help him, so as to stop Crugan from coming here in the first place._ Saphira said.

They flew past the foothills, and gently dived towards the beach, which was filled with beautiful white sands, but there was no one there. Saphira didn't mind it if people came to that beach and stayed there, but she did find it a little distracting, especially if she wanted to spend some time alone with Thorn.

They landed on the shores, their scales sparkling in the afternoon sun.

Saphira settled on the ground there, making herself comfortable in the sand, and Thorn settled down next to her, covering her in his wing as usual. Saphira sidled closer to him, comfortably warm under the shelter of her mate's wing.

 _I wish I could stay where I am for as long as time itself . . ._ Saphira told him, and Thorn replied to her with a gentle nudge of his snout.

 _Of course you could, and I would be there to keep you happy as long as need be._

Saphira laughed and licked her mate's face affectionately, and Thorn licked her back with equal enthusiasm. But their happiness was just condemned to be stopped when Saphira realized what she had to discuss with him.

 _Thorn, there is something I must tell you . . . Eragon is quite sure that we will have to help Eragon the first in any way possible, and for that to happen we will have to go to him . . . Eragon has proposed that he and I, along with Arya and Valinor will go to the place where Eragon the First is, after we find this Heslant._ Saphira told him, speaking it out before he could interrupt.

Thorn was silent for a while, as he understood what she was saying. He lay there, and stared at the ocean, while Saphira twisted her neck and looked up at him in anticipation.

 _So . . . you are saying that you will have to go away from me again?_ Thorn asked her, a little sad.

Saphira lightly scratched under his wing with her talons. The way her talons moved, Thorn could tell that she was distracted.

 _Yes . . . unfortunately that is what I am saying . . . and this time we might be separated for a much longer time than before. I don't know how-_

 _Saphira, as long as I am alive, I will never entirely leave you . . . . I shall always be with you._ Thorn told her, and Saphira immediately picked up what he was saying.

 _Thorn, no, I can't take-_

You have to take my eldunari with you wherever you go, do you understand?

Thorn told her forcefully. Saphira growled as Thorn's wing tightened around her suddenly, and his tail pulled hers.

 _I don't trust myself to keep it safe, Thorn, I told you that._ Saphira told him, and Thorn twisted and looked down at her with a wide eye.

 _But I do, and that's all that matters. And I know you will be careful with it . . . it is my life that you are holding with you._ Thorn told her.

Saphira wriggled uncomfortably under his wing, but he held her tightly, there was no chance for her to get free.

 _But Thorn, is it worth the risk?_ Saphira asked him, and he licked the sapphire dragoness on the neck comfortingly.

 _It is worth it, if we can talk to each other, feel each others feelings wherever we are. I say it is worth it, and in this way, it will at least be acceptable if we are apart, don't you think?_ Thorn asked her, and Saphira agreed after a moment's hesitation.

 _So, you are saying that I should go with Eragon, and not stay with you?_ Saphira asked him after a while, a little sad and a little happy at the way things seemed to be heading.

 _Yes, I want you to go with him, he is much more important to you than I am . . . As long as he lives, you live . . ._ Thorn told her, and the decision was final.

Valinor and Draumr flew towards a dell, steadily going northwards.

 _I really wasn't up to my usual mark without you._ Draumr said and Valinor flew ahead of her, towards the direction of the valley. It was a beautiful place, which Valinor and Draumr used to visit alone at first, then with their children. Now, their children were grown dragons with their own families, so Valinor and Draumr returned to the valley once more on their own.

 _I felt much the same . . . I wish you would have been there with me, then I might not have lost my temper at Arya like I did._ Valinor thought, a little guilty now at his actions towards his Rider.

 _Because of what?_ Draumr asked, and Valinor dived towards the ground, heading straight for the valley, just where the two hills diverged.

 _Draumr . . . I'll explain once we are on the ground . . ._ Valinor told her and flew ever lower.

A small stream trickled from the hills, and made a small waterfall from the top to the bottom of the hill, making the scene quite a beautiful one. There was lush green grass, many trees here and there, but Valinor and Draumr were headed for the clearest part of the valley. The stream trickled through it, though no trees grew there.

Valinor landed gently, and folded his massive wings. Draumr landed as well, and stood next to him, staring at him as he settled down. Draumr was smaller than Valinor in size, but equal or even more in ferocity.

But she was just as caring, and usually was the one who kept Valinor under her wing.

 _Draumr, I think we will have to get separated once more . . . I am not pleased with this fact, but it is possible._ Valinor told her, unwilling to beat about the bush. There was no point in delaying what he had to tell her in sometime anyway.

Unlike what Valinor had expected, Draumr draped her wing over him, and he pressed his forehead to hers, remaining as close as possible to her.

 _You say it's possible, is it unavoidable?_ Draumr asked him, and Valinor nuzzled her face with his snout, a tender look in his eye.

 _I don't know, it depends entirely on what Saphira decides. If she decides it best to leave Thorn and go, to keep him and Alagaesia safe, then I shall take the same decision._ Valinor said, and Draumr suddenly pulled a little away from him, staring into his eyes.

 _You mean you will leave me here just to keep me safe?_ Draumr asked him, and he nodded.

 _It's supposed to be the other way round, I think._ Draumr told him, and Valinor chuckled.

 _Maybe it is, maybe it isn't . . . but anyway, Arya is going with Eragon if they decide to leave. I should be with her, to look after her if nothing else._ Valinor told her.

 _I suppose you are right, Valinor, but I still feel it is quite wrong . . . . You are serious, we have to get separated?_ Draumr asked him suddenly, and Valinor nodded sadly.

 _I am quite serious, we will have to get separated . . . that is why I am angry at Arya, she and Eragon took this decision without even asking me._ Without even considering the fact that I would have other thoughts. Valinor told her, anger beginning to build up along with his voice.

 _My good mate, they are doing what is necessary . . . I think it was just as painful for them to decide to separate us. They are a part of us, as we are a part of them. They can feel our pain as their own . . . They know its consequences._ Draumr told him knowledgably, and Valinor grinned.

 _Why are you so wise? It's just not right for us males to be so dumb while you females are all clever._ Valinor told her, and she licked his face affectionately.

 _Father would probably have an answer to that._ Draumr told him and Valinor laughed. Thorn was Draumr's father.

 _So . . . are you sure you will stick to whatever decision Saphira takes?_ Draumr asked him, and he nodded. He hoped that Saphira wouldn't decide to separate them both, but as it was, there was a sense of foreboding in his heart of hearts that there was something wrong.

The mates remained together, but the malice in the south west grew worse. Now, the fate of Alagaesia would be decided, whether for good or for ill. Pain, as we know it, was no comparison to make to what was coming, or had already come.

Pain . . .


	33. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32: Love of a Brother**

"Eragon, are you crazy or what?"

"What are you saying?"

Eragon was at Murtagh's home in Doru Araeba, and their dragons were still far off, Saphira and Valinor were filling their mates in on the situation.

Eragon had just told Murtagh and Nasuada about what he had planned, about leaving Alagaesia. Murtagh's reaction had been immediate.

"If you and Arya, both leave, who will look over the Riders? Who will see to it that everything goes according to what they have been instructed? Or that, none of them goes rogue, like Galbatorix?" Murtagh asked him, and Eragon smiled. His brother was bent on not letting him go, though there was no choice. Eragon was adamant that he had to leave, otherwise things could take a turn for the worst.

"Brother . . . that's exactly why you and Nasuada are staying here . . . to take mine and Arya's place." Eragon told him.

Murtagh was silent at first, something which Eragon found odd, then his mouth began to fall open and his eyes widened. But Nasuada was the first one to respond.

"Eragon, you can't be serious!" Nasuada told him, and Eragon grinned.

But Murtagh knew his brother wasn't lying. "You know . . . you have the most mysterious ways of getting things done according to plan . . . But think this through, what abut the people, won't they wonder why the Lead Rider, the hero of Alagaesia, is leaving them?"

Nasuada looked at her husband with raised eyebrows, while Eragon's grin slowly reduced to a thoughtful smile.

"Exactly, Eragon, people will think you are abandoning them to something . . . sinister." Nasuada told him, but Eragon shook his head.

"No, they won't . . . because I am just following the footsteps of my namesake . . . Eragon the first left Alagaesia to stop Crugan, I am doing the same . . . though of course, Crugan must no be mentioned in this, with the right way, this news will seem convincing and appealing . . . and it isn't farce, its true." Eragon said, and Murtagh and Nasuada were wide eyed.

"Listen, we just have no alternative this time, if I don't leave to aid Eragon the first, things might get disastrous. As it is, strange things are beginning to happen here, in Alagaesia . . . I don't know how, but I just know about them. The sooner Crugan is stopped, the better for us." Eragon said, and Murtagh turned away, still unwilling to accept what Eragon was saying. Nasuada seemed to be convinced, and she was staring at Murtagh, until he finally stood up and walked off.

"Murtagh . . ." Eragon began, but he banged the door of the room shut and walked out.

Eragon sighed, but Nasuada reached forward and grabbed his hand in her own gentle ones. He looked up at her, and saw her almond shaped eyes, the same as they had been when she had been appointed the leader of the Varden.

"He doesn't want to be parted from you, he wants you to stay." Nasuada told him, and Eragon gave her a small smile.

"I am glad he does, Nasuada, but I don't understand what he will get from just prolonging things . . . It pains me to leave Alagaesia as well, but I am doing what is necessary, and so is Arya . . . and Saphira and Valinor if they decide to leave . . . whatever their decision, I am leaving to aid my namesake, in this, I am as iron." Eragon told her, and stood up as well.

"I know I can't make you change your decision, but think about what consequences your actions may have. I mean, think about the people, how will they react?" Nasuada asked him, and Eragon chuckled.

"They might be against me leaving at first, but finally they will accept it as the right decision, but that doesn't matter to me. All that matters to me is Alagaesia's safety, and that of its people. I shall try my best to achieve it." Eragon told her.

Nasuada nodded, and Eragon began to walk away. "I am going to talk to Murtagh, and try to convince him . . . also, word of me leaving must reach all the Riders . . ." Eragon told her, as an inclination of a plan started forming in his mind.

He grinned, and briskly walked off, leaving a little bemused Nasuada behind.

 _Little one, I am back._ A gentle voice said in Eragon's mind.

He was walking towards where he thought Murtagh was, a little cluster of trees, where he used to go to meditate, just outside the city.

Eragon stopped in his tracks as he heard two pairs of wings beating towards the side, and he looked around to see the brilliant red and blue dragons coming towards him, and he could tell somehow that they had decided to do what he wanted, and had chosen Alagaesia's fate over that of their companionship.

Still, he felt better to ask. _Saphira, what have the two of you decided? And do you know about Valinor and Draumr?_

Saphira swooped down to him, while Thorn turned and flew away, towards Murtagh.

 _Eragon, we decided to do as you asked . . . to be separated, and for me to go with you while Thorn remained, but I don't know about Valinor and Draumr. They went somewhere else, they weren't with us._ Saphira told him, and he nodded.

She landed in front of him, and Eragon gave her a small smile. It had been quite a big sacrifice on their part, to allow him to separate them, especially when they had been together for almost a century now.

But he could sense that there was something bothering Saphira, her thoughts were quite distracted, and always pointing back to one emotion. Apprehension.

 _What's wrong Saphira?_ Eragon asked her, walking over to her huge and long neck, and scratching the hard scales, and her thoughts eased slightly as he did so.

 _Thorn . . . well, he somehow convinced me to take his eldunari with me, wherever I went . . . so that we would at least remain in contact . . . but I am anxious about it . . . what if I drop it, or I am careless with it? He will surely die, if his eldunari breaks . . . what about that?_ Saphira asked him, all of a sudden her mind filled with worry.

Eragon gently swooped into her conscience and cleared away all her worry, and let his voice fill her mind.

 _I understand what you are feeling, and it would have been awkward if you wouldn't have felt this way . . . but, it is this worry that will make you all the more careful. I am sure, you won't let any harm come to it, and I am also sure that it is going to be safest with you than with anyone else, even Thorn himself . . ._ Eragon told her, and a small feeling of happiness kindled in her mind, which slowly filled all of it as Eragon receded from her.

 _You are getting smarter!_ Saphira said, and Eragon laughed.

 _Smarter than you?_ Eragon asked her back, and she growled.

 _Not yet, give it another century or so._ Saphira said, and he laughed all the more.

 _Murtagh, what's wrong with you?_ Thorn asked.

Murtagh looked up. He was walking past the trees, a small cluster of them, which he found just perfect for meditation. Decades ago, he had brought his first student, Ephian here, and the young man had progressed through the training with great success, just like his dragon, Jiarha. Murtagh could still remember the huge grin on Ephian's face when he had finally been able to levitate the stone, and he had tossed it directly at Nasuada, who had been educating her own student nearby. Murtagh and Ephian had both turned away then, and Nasuada had just given Murtagh a hard stare, after which she had continued her own class. The memory brought a small smile to Murtagh's face.

But it was short lived, as now, it seemed that he was again going to be separated from his brother, something which he sorely wished did not happen. He didn't know why, but he somehow just felt comforted when Eragon was near, as if nothing could go wrong. Eragon just gave off that kind of an aura, for him.

But now, Eragon was leaving Alagaesia itself, for a land far beyond. Did he actually expect Murtagh to let him go ahead with the plan?

 _Murtagh?_ Thorn asked again, and Murtagh jumped.

 _Thorn!_

 _Yeah, what's wrong?_ Thorn asked him, and Murtagh looked up to see him hovering above the trees. He briskly set off to get out of the cluster so that he could join Thorn.

 _Eragon . . . he's gone crazy! What's this new bugging idea of leaving Alagaesia and going off to some place?_ Murtagh asked, frustrated.

In truth, he loved Eragon a lot, and he didn't want him to leave, which was a reason for his behavior, and . . .

 _Murtagh, are you scared of becoming the Lead Rider?_ Thorn asked as Murtagh got out of the cluster of trees and waited for the red dragon to join him. But what Thorn said made him stop in his tracks.

 _Scared? No, of course not, I just . . . I dunno, I just don't want to be the lead Rider, I won't be the right person._ Murtagh told him, watching the red dragon.

Thorn landed in front of him, and crawled over to Murtagh, a grin coming to his face.

 _Never thought you'd be a coward, Murtagh. Won't be the right person? Doesn't that sound more childish to you than anything else you have said, though Nasuada can point out those things better than me._ Thorn said, and Murtagh looked at him as the red dragon settled on the ground next to Murtagh.

 _Oh, alright fine, I am scared of becoming the lead Rider, because it has just too many responsibilities and too much pressure. I can't take those things, they are-_

 _Stop belittling yourself, and trust me! You can do this, and you will do this!_ Thorn said, and Murtagh raised his eyebrows.

 _Why are you suddenly supporting Eragon?_ Murtagh asked, and Thorn gave a small grunt.

 _Its because Saphira asked me whether she should go with him, otherwise he would go off alone, and she doesn't want that . . ._ Thorn said.

 _So you are alright with them going away?_ Murtagh asked incredulously, and Thorn nodded.

 _I just put one condition . . . Saphira has to take my eldunari. I am not letting her go unless she takes it._ Thorn said, and Murtagh stared at him with wide eyes disturbed and shocked at what Thorn had told him.

 _I suppose it is unavoidable now . . . I just hope Eragon knows what he is doing, and that he doesn't end up in a spot too tight for him get out off._ Murtagh said, and Thorn growled in agreement.

A sudden flicker towards the right made them both turn towards it, and they recognized Saphira flying towards them.

They watched her swiftly come closer, and glide down and land gently in front of them. Murtagh stared at Eragon as he got off and walked upto him, a small smile on his face.

 _Go ahead, talk to him._ Thorn urged, and Murtagh threw him an annoyed look.

In the meantime, Eragon walked over to him, while Saphira and Thorn moved away slowly and wordlessly.

Murtagh stared at Eragon, who was his younger brother, but was stronger and greater than him. He knew that, in the end, it was Eragon's will that would have prevailed, because of many reasons.

"Brother, I understand why you don't want me to leave, but now, you must try to understand why I am in such a haste to find Heslant . . . The very survival of our land, our loved ones, our people, depends on this." Eragon said, and Murtagh raised an eyebrow.

Switching to the Ancient Language, Eragon said, "If I don't stop him, he will come here. If I am unable to get to him, he will just swoop down on us, like those Ra'zac and Lethrblaka in Ellesméra, and rain death upon us. The biggest problem that we have here is that we hardly know anything about him."

Murtagh was silent for a long time, and Eragon let the words sink in deep.

"I am not against you leaving . . . if it is for the good of Alagaesia, it will be better if you go . . . but you, both you and Saphira, must accept something before you set off." Murtagh told him finally, and Eragon nodded.

"What is it?"

Murtagh looked at Thorn, who nodded, and they made a mutual understanding of the situation.

"The condition is . . . wherever you go, you will return, and you will never leave this place forever . . . promise us this, Eragon." Murtagh told him. Eragon stared art him for a while, and his thoughts were of long ago when Angela had read his future and had predicted that he would leave Alagaesia forever. But this promise that he was going to give just seemed to go against whatever his future had said.

 _It seems that I am the brink of changing of changing my own fate . . ._ Eragon thought to Saphira, who replied.

 _Our fate Eragon, not just yours . . ._ Saphira told him.

Eragon nodded at her, then looked at Murtagh with a smile.

"I agree to your condition Murtagh . . . wherever I and Saphira go, we will return to Alagaesia." Eragon said, in the Ancient Language.


	34. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: Breaking out**

"Get up!" The fat man said.

Angrenost swore at him in return, and got a punch as a gift.

"Freohr has had enough of your fooling and nut cracking, he is going to get the information out of you on his own." The man said, and Angrenost smirked.

A week it had been since he had realized that there was no escape, and so what did he do to the people who had kept him captured, in return? Angrenost decided to make them regret every second they spent with him.

 _Finally, I am getting out of this room! I could probably kick this guy, and make a run for it._ Angrenost thought.

He was still in the same ship, but it wasn't moving ahead anymore. They had reached their destination, Sharktooth, and Angrenost knew that his chances of escaping were much better here, than being in the middle of the ocean.

The fat fellow finally grabbed Angrenost's arm and pulled him up. With the other hand, he opened the door and ushered him out, though he didn't let go of him.

Immediately, from either sides, two armed men in complete armour came to meet them, and Angrenost grinned. Freohr was determined to keep Angrenost captured, and Angrenost was hell bent on escaping.

 _One kick in the right place of this fat rat, and I can run off without problems, but first, I must get to a place which has a proper escape route, with less guards and more place to run around in._ Angrenost thought.

"Your too lucky for your own good, poor fig, we have been given orders not to kill you . . . though we can cripple you if need be." One of the soldiers said, and Angrenost nodded, a smile hidden by his long hair which partially covered his face, and a haunted look that would have made his great ancestor, Roran, jealous.

And they walked, Angrenost kept looking here and there. The entire ship was, of course, made of wood, and its interior was a maze of corridors and rooms. It seemed all the rooms were connected in more than three ways, there were three entrances and exits to each room.

 _That's good for me, once I am on the run, these fools will have a hard time keeping come._ Angrenost noted. After spending so much time in the cell, the prince had lost most of his gentleness and patience. Now, he was ready to do whatever needed to just escape from that ship and get back to Carvahall, and warn the king.

They walked past many rooms, but Angrenost knew that there were men inside, so he didn't take those chances to run off. His hands were still tied behind his back, and he only had the use of his legs against three men. He would need to improvise what he had.

 _Well . . . I wonder if it is before or past lunch time. If it is past lunchtime then I can probably get into one of those mess halls or rooms where these people eat, that can be my best way out._ Angrenost thought.

"Brat . . . You don't what you are in for. You have been giving us wrong information from the beginning, I ought to skin you and let you scream your throat out . . . weakest side of your kingdom is the north?" The man said and kicked Angrenost, making him groan.

"Why, the capital and all your elite soldiers are there in the north, and the rest of it is guarded by those dratted elves and their forest!" The man said, and Angrenost couldn't help but grin.

"About time you found out about that, I was getting worried." Angrenost replied, and got kicked once more.

He looked around, trying to find a mess hall or any other room that he could use as his escape route. But, unfortunately for him, most of the rooms around him right now were bed rooms, with people constantly going in or coming from there.

 _Sometimes, things just annoy me more than ever . . . Right now, I have the best chance to escape and all I need is some luck._ Angrenost thought.

"Who is this man, actually?" One of the armed men asked the fat fellow.

"Are you deaf? Haven't you heard all the news, spreading like wildfire?" The fat fellow replied, annoyed.

"No, I haven't . . ."

"That's because you were flogged and imprisoned." The other soldier added, and the fat man laughed.

"Serves you right!" The fat man replied, and the other man grunted in return .

"So, what is this fellow's story? Why is he here?" The soldier persisted, and the fat man gave a sigh.

"He's the prince of the humans that live here." The fat man replied.

Angrenost wished he could turn around and smack him straight in the face, but he didn't. It wouldn't do to lose his temper now, when he could get a chance to escape from there.

The soldier gasped, and the other one coughed.

"Really?" He asked, and then gave a small yelp of pain as the fat man punched him.

"Then what? Do you think I am lying to you like a barking dog?" The fat asked him. In the meantime, Angrenost continued to look around.

There has to be a room that I can escape through, somewhere around here. As long as it is empty, I am fine with it. Icing to the cake will be having a knife or dagger or any weapon inside . . . Oh! That room looks fine! Angrenost thought suddenly.

Ahead was a mess hall, the place where the soldiers ate their food. It seemed empty and Angrenost knew that it was his best way out. The only thing that he hoped for was that the men behind him will be a little slow to react. They were going to go past that very room, and he planned to barge into it as soon as they walked past.

 _This the best chance I can get . . . I have to make it!_ Angrenost thought and slowly his apprehension also grew. His muscles suddenly twitched with suppressed excitement and fear.

"No, I didn't mean it that way, I just found it hard to believe . . ." The soldier said, and the other two men laughed.

"Freohr planned it all, he's planning is sure to work, you think he'll make a mistake?" The other soldier said.

They were just some yards away from the room, and Angrenost began to grow more tensed. His stomach tightened.

"Oh, stop it, I didn't mean any disrespect . . . I heard that these humans are different from us, but this man looks almost the same." The soldier said, and Angrenost grinned.

"You heard right, they are different . . . They write things like those elves, they read as well and they can even use magic." The fat fellow told them, and the other two men gasped. They were just a couple of yards away from the room.

"You mean . . . he? . . ." The soldier gasped, but the other man shook his head.

"Not him, he can't, only some of them can, this man is just a stupid novice in everything, with no real skill in anything, and they call him a Prince?" The fat man laughed, and Angrenost suddenly spun around and shouted, "There is something that I can do!"

In the next fraction of the second, the fat man yelled in pain and fell to the ground and Angrenost darted past the door to the side. The soldiers had already shouted, after their initial jumps of surprise, and had drawn their swords. The one closest to the door ran at Angrenost as he turned around.

 _Here goes nothing!_ Angrenost thought, and then kicked the door. It was a quite sturdy wooden door, and it bashed the soldier straight into the face. Angrenost heard him yell in pain as well, while the fat man shouted curses and oaths at Angrenost. The other soldier was coming closer, and Angrenost knew that he would stand no chance against an armed and trained soldier, with his hands tied behind his back, so he hurriedly closed the door and jammed it with the side lock of the door.

He heard the soldier and the fat fellow swearing loudly, and the door somehow held against the heavy kicks that the soldier dealt it.

 _I better hurry up, is there a knife around here?_ Angrenost thought and hurried looked around, and this time swore as loud as he could as well. There was no knife in the room, practically nothing that he could use to cut himself free.

He didn't have much time now, and he was sure that both, the fat fool and that soldier were going to burst into the room from one of the other ways, so he hurried towards the other door. He took a quick look around the room again, and then ran out.

 _This is crazier than I thought, I must find a way to cut myself free . . . if I had kicked that door hard enough, then that nut soldier must probably be unconscious right now . . . I think I should go and see, those two might have been careless enough to leave him and all his weapons there._ Angrenost thought hurriedly, and came to a swift decision.

He was going to make his way back to the place from where he had entered that room.

He began to run then, hurrying as fast as his state would allow, even though his hands were at an awkward angle now. But, it was going to be a little confusing to navigate his way around the ship, even for the short time in which he had to escape.

But finding his way back to the place from where he had run off was easy, he just had to follow the wall next to him, and get to the corner it led to.

After a couple of minutes of scuffling and cursing, he reached the corner, and he stood to the side, then slowly peeked past.

 _Now that's great!_ Angrenost thought.

The man had been knocked out, and his weapons were there as well. The sword was lying there, next to the door, and Angrenost was delighted to see it.

Not wasting time, he hurried towards the man lying on the ground and grabbed the blade of the sword in his bound hands, and began to pull it up, then let fall down, again pull it up and again let it fall down. As he did so, the ropes holding his hands together began to get sawn off slowly, but the edge of the blade also cut his arm. Angrenost had to ground his teeth to stop himself from yelling out in pain as the sword cut him even deeper.

But the ropes were almost off, and he sawed it once more with the sword, and was finally able to pull his hands free. He pulled the apart and gave a sigh of relief, then hurriedly tore a strip of his cloak and tied over the cut on his hand.

 _I don't have much time now, I bet those two . . . Oh drat it!_ Angrenost thought and swore again as the other soldier and the fat interrogator came around the corner. They froze when they saw Angrenost, whose bonds had been cut and he was also armed with a sword.

The soldier was the first to react, he drew his own sword and ran at Angrenost with a loud yell, which was echoed by the fat man, who drew a long knife.

Angrenost held his own sword tightly in his hand, and prepared to fight. But, he somehow knew that it would be better to run from there, even though he might be able to kill these two men, he couldn't handle the entire crew aboard on the ship. And so, he did run off from there as fast as possible, but in style.

The soldier came nearer, and Angrenost ducked and slashed up, his blow a lot weaker and slower than it used to be. Even though he wasn't at his best, the blow hit the soldier on his waist and gave him a huge gash. The soldier yelled loudly in pain, and Angrenost jumped away and sprinted forwards.

"Get back here you coward!" The fat man bellowed, just as the doors around them burst open and several men filed in. Angrenost edged his way past them, and fat man ran after him, yelling at the men to catch him.

"He is the dratted prince of this place! If we get him, we get the kingdom! Catch that filthy rat!" He shouted, and most of the men looked at Angrenost in surprise, before they began to run after him as well.

Angrenost cursed, all those men were chasing him now. He looked back and saw no less than about two dozen men running at him. His knees grew weak.

 _I am supposed to outrun all those men? This is crazy!_ He thought, but ran onward anyway. The best way to get away would be break the line of sight, and he could do that only by turning and changing paths as much as possible. With these two dozen men soon the whole ship would be on the alert for him.

 _I must get out of here, and fast!_ Angrenost thought. He took the first left that he encountered in the passageway, his limbs burning and his breath rather sharp in his chest. The he immediately took the door that led to the right and followed to corridor for two minutes before turning right again.

 _This is going to be bad . . . Oh blast!_ Angrenost thought and froze on the spot as he saw a man in white robes in front of him, holding a sword.

Freohr had found him.


	35. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: Dragon's Lament**

 _Ephian, you are not-_

 _This is the way I am going to do it, and that's final!_

 _Are you-_

 _Yeah, I am crazy, I am a raving lunatic, and I am going to do what lunatics like me should do! Ephian said angrily._

They were a on a cliff near Galfni, and they were planning to infiltrate the city somehow. It would be suicide to attack the city directly, without any troops, so Ephian decided that he would go inside the city alone and go and meet the dwarf Grimstborith Larouf and get information from him about Orúm's whereabouts.  
Will you wait and think this through? Jiarha asked him, and he threw her an angry look.

 _No! I won't, I want to free Elva, I want her back . . . I want to tell her the truth as well . . . I should have done it when I had the chance . . ._ Ephian thought, then furiously kicked a loose rock off the ground, and watched it soar several yards ahead before falling to the ground.

Eridor was lying on the ground, lost in his own thoughts of Elva. He had been quiet ever since Elva had disappeared and had not spoken much to either of them.

Ephian turned away from Jiarha and sat down, still watching Galfni.

 _Jiarha . . . Go console Eridor, he needs some company as well . . . and stay with him, I'd rather be alone right now._ Ephian told her. Jiarha stared at his turned back for a while, then nodded and began crawling towards Eridor. As she moved away, the moderating influence her mind had over Ephian became less and less, and it was no more as Ephian cut off most of their connection. He wanted to be truly alone with his thoughts, and he wanted remain lost in those thoughts of Elva.

He had been thinking for a long time now, ever since his anger had left him. He sadly looked back to the time when the both of them had been arguing over that hole in that cave, or to the moment when he had nearly kissed her but they had been interrupted by those men, or to the time when he had held her in his arms as they had fallen down from the top floor. He remembered her lovely eyes, the way they shone in the dark, and her glistening hair. He was truly entranced by her beauty, and horribly pained when she had disappeared.

 _I could never even tell her that I loved her . . . I couldn't even tell her that I yearned for her hand . . ._ Ephian thought regretfully. He could have told her that, confessed his soul out to her, but he had not. He had been a coward. He had let her slip away from him, and now, he could not turn things back.

 _And . . . . I didn't keep the promise I gave her . . . I couldn't protect her, I let her go . . . I let her be captured . . . I am a disgrace._ Ephian thought guiltily. He had promised her that he would protect her, he would keep her safe. He could not undo his own mistake now. A mistake which he had now recognized. If he would not have attacked those two men, if he would not have been so reckless, Orúm would not have found them and Elva would still have been with him. It was his fault, and he was now paying the price for it.

 _Oh Elva . . . How I miss you now . . . I will find you! I swear on my life, I will find you! And I will destroy the people who separated us, I will ensure that it is by my . . . no, our swords that they die . . . from now on, I will wield your sword along with my own, at least until I find you . . ._ Ephian decided and stood up, both Edoc'sil and Nuanen on his hips.

 _If I want to wield both these swords, I'd better practice first._ Ephian thought, drawing the swords.

Jiarha slowly walked closer to Eridor, who was lying with his wings folded and had a sad look on his face. He didn't even twitch and look at her as she came closer.

 _Eridor . . . can we talk?_ Jiarha asked him, and he looked up. He turned around slowly and stared at her for a while, then slowly lay his head down on the ground again.

 _Sure._ Eridor said in a low voice.

Jiarha flopped to the ground next to him and nudged him with her snout.

 _. . . Eridor, are you angry?_ Jiarha asked him, and Eridor looked up at her again, his eyes dry and sorrowful.

 _Why would I be angry?_ Eridor asked her.

 _I thought you were angry at . . . me and Ephian because you weren't talking to us at all . . . I thought you were angry at Ephian because, you know . . . he couldn't save Elva . . ._ Jiarha trailed off, and Eridor placed his head on the ground again.

 _I was a little angry, but then I realized that there was really nothing that he could have done to improve things, nothing that I think he could have done . . . He could not have killed that shade when he himself was so injured . . . No, I wasn't talking because I didn't feel like it . . . And as for being angry . . . it is unavoidable._ Eridor told her, and Jiarha sidled closer to him.

 _Listen Eridor . . . we are in this together, you and me, and I want you to know that you can trust me . . . I trust you as well, so why don't you trust me? I got you a week of prey to eat . . ._ Jiarha said and Eridor got a small smile on his face.

 _That was the best deer I ever ate . . . You hunt very well, Jiarha._ Eridor told her, and she sensed that his mood was improving.

 _And you are very strong, you helped me up when that earthquake took place, when I couldn't control my own self. I thank you a lot for that._ Jiarha continued, and Eridor shook his head.  
No need to thank me, it was my duty to help you. Eridor told her.

 _No, I insist . . . and I will repay the favor by helping you out of your grief._ Jiarha told him. Eridor looked up at her suddenly shook his head.

 _I appreciate the offer, but no . . ._ Eridor told her, and Jiarha growled slightly.

 _Why not? Would you rather have Gedwëy?_ Jiarha asked him, and his head snapped towards her, a uncertain look on his face.

 _No, I'd rather not . . . you are far better than her, she was continuously asking me whether I hadn't thought of having a mate yet. It was truly pathetic!_ Eridor said, and Jiarha laughed lightly.

 _So, you'd prefer to have me here then why not let me comfort you?_ Jiarha asked him, and Eridor didn't meet her eyes. He turned away and Jiarha tried to twist her neck around his, so that their eyes would meet.

 _What about Ephian? Don't you want to comfort him as well?_ Eridor asked him, and Jiarha's heart sank abruptly.

 _He . . . He said that he wanted to be alone and lost within his own thoughts, I think he is planning the best way to infiltrate the city. And he isn't exactly sad, he is more angry and guilty. And . . . well, I care for you as well, I don't want you to think that you have failed Elva o something like that, because you haven't._ Jiarha told him soothingly, and gently rubbed her snout against his neck.

Eridor was silent for a while, but he shivered when Jiarha rubbed her snout on his neck, and then he turned to her and said in a deadly serious voice. _How do I know that I haven't failed her? If I would have been faster, I could have saved her, if I wouldn't have turned around to try and hit the Shade, I would have saved her . . . I could have saved her, Jiarha, but I didn't! I am the one to blame, I was . . ._ Eridor trailed off and flopped to the ground. He began shivering mightily and gave a groan of sorrow, then gulped and gave another groan.

Jiarha was extremely touched by what she saw, Eridor was actually crying. She had thought it impossible that a dragon would cry, especially one as strong as Eridor. But he was crying, he was blaming himself for everything.

 _Eridor, you are better than this, stop it!_ Jiarha told him, but he didn't listen. He was still shivering, though his groans had stopped.

Jiarha then realized that she had made a mistake by saying that, and that she should comfort him rather than telling him off. She gently crawled closer and unfurled her wing. She covered him under her wing and stared at him as he shivered even more.

 _Its fine Eridor, I am there for you, I am there . . . Let it all out Eridor, let out all your sorrow. I am going to be there for Eridor, you need not worry . . . . shush, we are going to find Elva and save her as well, don't worry._ Jiarha consoled him, and he nodded slowly.

 _But Jiarha, I couldn't save her . . . I failed in my duty to protect her._ Eridor said, and Jiarha pulled him closer.

 _No, you didn't . . . Eridor there was nothing that you could do. Stop blaming yourself for something that's not your fault._ Jiarha told him.

 _Easy for you to say, but wouldn't you have felt the same if Ephian had disappeared? Wouldn't you have been guilty, and regretted . . . . regretted letting him go away?_ Eridor asked her, staring at her with grieved eyes.

Jiarha stared at him for a while, then began to turn away, but Eridor nudged her with his forehead. Jiarha turned to him again, then said. _I would feel much the same, but I'd realize that it is wrong . . . especially if I'd have you around to help me_.

Eridor got a small glint in his eye, but he didn't say anything. Jiarha then pressed her snout against his. _But you don't need to condemn yourself to loneliness, I am there for you, Ephian is also there . . . its all fine._

Eridor didn't reply for a while, then he nudged her with his own snout and said. _I suppose it is better to have someone . . ._

"Aaargh!"

"Where are you from? Answer me NOW!"

"Please . . . Please stop it!" Elva screamed.

They were in a small, dark room, and Elva was sitting on a chair, her arms and legs chained to it. The man behind was torturing her with his mind, making her feel as if her body was getting whipped, hit by a log of wood, being coated by siethr oil and all other things that he could come up with.

The man behind her, wasn't truly a man, it was something different, something much worse.

"Are you a dragon rider?" He asked after making her go through a great deal of pain.

"Yes . . . yes, I am a dragon rider . . ." Elva said weakly.

The person torturing her was a shade, and he was one of the worst shades in the world. He was Crugan's right hand man, and his name was Zar'rac. Pain was what he loved causing, and he was willing to do it in anyway needed.

"So . . . you can use magic, and you are highly trained, yes?" Zar'rac asked her, and she nodded.  
"I . . . I am." Elva told him in a low, painful voice.

This was his way of torture, making the person confess everything because of the pain he caused them, and then making them regret their every confession by making sure that he used each and every ounce of it against them.

"Who is the lead Rider there then? . . . Answer me!" The Shade said, but Elva was silent.

"Do you want to go through another round of pain? Will you look nice when there is a knife poking out of your mouth? . . . . No, you won't, and you don't want that to happen either, so tell me, who is the Lead Rider? What is his name?" Zar'rac persisted, and Elva just sat there quietly.

Zar'rac lost his patience then, and then Elva screamed in pain as she felt her body being poked by a thousand non-existent needles from all directions. She screamed even louder when she felt a whip hit her back and a pan of hot burning coals being pressed against her face. None of it was real of course, it was just her imagination and fear which Zar'rac had triggered.

"Now, tell me!" Zar'rac demanded loudly, and Elva replied with equal determination.

"No, I won't . . . Kill me now, then, because you won't get anything out from me in life, nor will you get it in death. So kill me!" Elva shouted at him, and Zar'rac seemed to swoop out from the darkness and come before her, his eyes red with rage.

"I see . . . so it is death that you want? Well, we can give it to you, but not now . . . it will have to wait a while. But first, you must meet the great person who needs all your information." Zar'rac told her, and the darkness made it difficult for Elva to see what he was wearing.

"Speak sense, I-" Elva began to say, but then suddenly light burst into the room as the door was opened loudly.

"Behold . . . the great one approaches . . . " Zar'rac said, and Elva turned around in her seat to look at the person.

Whatever she saw next, she was not going to forget how horrible it was for the rest of her life, which was either restricted to a very less time or a much longer period.


	36. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: Rider's Courage**

 _Be careful, my Rider. If you are caught in there, you will be too far for me or Eridor to help._ Jiarha said.

 _Yes Jiarha, I will be careful. . . wait for my signal from the hall of the castle . . . Larouf is going to pay for what he has done._ Ephian told her.

Jiarha dipped her head and licked Ephian's face lightly, wishing her Rider luck. Ephian stroked her forehead caringly, then turned around and began to climb down the cliff.

They were still on the same hill near Galfni, and had made the plans to invade the city overnight. All they needed was information, and they could get it without causing too much of commotion. If they did create an upheaval, they might get into trouble with the other Riders and dragons.

Jiarha stared at him as he climbed down, then slowly crawled away. They weren't worried that the dwarves in Galfni would spot them, as they had placed spells around the cliff, making it seem as if there was nothing out of the ordinary there.  
Jiarha crawled over to Eridor and flopped to the ground near him, extremely tensed and worried about Ephian. They had decided to reduce their mental connection, so that if Ephian was to be attacked by enemy magicians, she would not be detected by anyone. Right now, Jiarha was alone with her own thoughts, something that she truly hated. Ephian had lived some of his life without her, but Jiarha had been with him ever since she had been born, and being without him was an alien and horrible experience for her.

Eridor stared at her for a while, as she remained uncomfortable and kept shifting from one side to another. Then he slowly came closer and nudged the back of her head with his snout, intending to distract her. He himself wanted to think about something other than Elva, whom he had been thinking about since the last night, even after Jiarha had consoled him.

 _Don't worry so much, he is going to be fine._ Eridor told her, and Jiarha groaned slightly.

 _I hope you are right, but I think I truly understand what you feel like now . . . These feelings can destroy a dragon . . . You are very strong Eridor . . ._ Jiarha told him, and Eridor lay down next to her.

 _Perhaps . . . but of course, you are strong as well . . . ._ Eridor told her uncertainly, then turned away hurriedly. Jiarha looked up at him in surprise. Eridor looked back at her for a while, then turned away again, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed.

 _Why, thank you . . ._ Jiarha replied to him, and Eridor grinned slightly and looked up at her. _But what makes you say that?_ Jiarha asked him suddenly, and he fell silent, his grin dissolving into a look of worry before he looked down.  
Jiarha grinned this time, what was he trying to do? Pursue her? She didn't have a problem with that, but first she would have to find out why he was actually doing it, whether he had any feelings for her or whether he was trying to distract her.

Her heart soared when she considered the first case, and she herself was a little surprised as to why that happened. She didn't feel that way for anyone else, not even Ephian. And she felt disappointed when she considered the second case, it would all be for nothing then.

 _Well, answer me!_ Jiarha told him abruptly, and Eridor jumped.

 _Err, umm, what? . . . . Oh! Yes, what makes me thing you are so strong, right._ Eridor said, and Jiarha smacked him lightly with her tail.

 _You mean to say you weren't even thinking about that all this time?_ Jiarha asked him playfully, and Eridor seemed ready to fly away.

 _Of course not, but I just couldn't come up with an answer . . . I mean, you are really strong and determined . . . and caring . . ._ Eridor began to say, then flattered, and Jiarha had to stop herself from chuckling.

That still doesn't answer my question, come on, tell me, why do you think I am so strong? Jiarha asked him, and Eridor stood and up and stared at her confusedly.

 _Because you are really powerful, mentally and physically, you can throw me off my paws and tackle me to the ground if you want to and you are strong enough to intimidate a Shade and make men a mile away cower when you are in sight. Should I say more?_ Eridor asked her, and she stared at him this time, with a weird expression, he turned away, a little scared.

 _Even Ephian doesn't admire me like that . . . thank you, Eridor._ Jiarha told him and Eridor chuckled.

 _It was my pleasure . . ._

Ephian walked towards the gate of the city, and it was wide open. These were been times of peace, and evil was not yet known to everyone.

He observed the gates, which had four dwarven guards on either sides of it. There were a few people coming out and going into the city, though there weren't enough of them for Ephian to slip inside unnoticed. He would have to use magic.

Upon realizing that, he hurriedly began muttering the spell to make the light bend around him, and also contacted Jiarha.

 _The guards are all on alert, they might notice you two . . . stay hidden as long as you can . . ._ Ephian told her, and her reply came almost immediately.

 _What about you?_ Jiarha asked him, and Ephian replied with determination.

 _I am not backing out, I can always sneak while being invisible. But you two attract too much attention, so I will tell you again, keep it down . . ._ Ephian said, and he noticed something weird in her emotions, but he wasn't interested to check what was going on within her.

 _I understand Ephian . . . and you don't need to be so angry, calm down, you are more vulnerable and liable to-_ Jiarha seemed to want to continue, but Ephian interrupted her.

 _Jiarha . . . I love you a lot, but this time, let me do it my way, and trust me to do it as I wish . . ._ Ephian told her, and began to cut off the connection, but Jiarha stopped him.

 _I love you too Ephian, but for my sake, don't do something reckless, we are depending on you._ Jiarha told him, but Ephian didn't reply. As it was, he was planning to do something more reckless that anything he had ever even thought of doing.

He reduced his connection with Jiarha as much as he could, then again began reciting the spell. After a few moments, he felt a little exhaustion come over him as the magic took effect, then he recovered and looked at his hands. He saw nothing.

 _Excellent . . . Now to get to that three feet high, bearded oaf . . . Elva . . . this is all for you._ Ephian said and strode ahead.

 _What's wrong? What did he say?_ Eridor asked Jiarha as the black dragoness shuddered slightly with worry.

 _He . . . he is going to do something stupid, something worse than he has ever done before, I just know it . . . I knew he'd lose control like this, and-_

 _Calm down Jiarha!_ Eridor said, perturbed by how worried she was. _He is not going to do anything stupid, he is quite skilled, and I am sure he is as good as us in making decisions in split seconds and changing plans at the last minute. You need not worry about him . . ._ Eridor told her, but she didn't seem to be convinced.

 _What if he does get caught? Or worse? . . ._ Jiarha persisted.

Eridor sighed, and flames erupted from his snout. Then, he crawled closer to her and unfurled one of his wings and draped it over her.

 _He won't get caught or have anything 'worse' done to him, understood?_ Eridor asked her. Jiarha looked up at him from under his wing, then nodded slowly and sidled closer to him.

 _I suppose you are right Eridor . . . it is pointless to worry right now, there is nothing I can do to change things anyway._ Jiarha said, and her voice seemed so helpless, Eridor couldn't help but feel pity for her. The gaping hole that had taken place of the half of his mind was beginning to torture him to madness, but somehow when he was near Jiarha, he felt himself getting better, as if she could help him out of his pain, out of his loneliness and misery. It seemed that she felt the same for him. He was oddly happy when he thought about that.

Jiarha shuddered slightly, and Eridor moved closer to her, covering her completely under the shelter of his wing.

 _I am glad you are there with me, Eridor . . . I really am . . ._ Jiarha told him, and Eridor rubbed her neck with his snout.

 _I am glad to have you here as well. I don't know what I'd have done if you would not have come to me yesterday . . . you kept me from sinking into insanity._ Eridor told her, and she rubbed her forehead against his chest.

 _It . . . it was my duty._ Jiarha told him, a little less worried now.

Eridor turned away from her then, unable to look into her eyes. He was shy.

Ephian crept up the street of the city of Galfni, keeping himself to the shadows wherever it was possible. Otherwise, he would creep through the shops and houses at the sides of the streets, and avoided directly getting into the crowd.

He couldn't wield a weapon while being invisible, that was a problem, because enchantments didn't work on his and Elva's sword, and he didn't have another weapon at that moment. He would have to fight at some point or the other, and he would have to do it while being visible.

He reached down to his reserve of energy in the sword, and was pleased to find that he had a huge amount of it, although it was only half of what he had had earlier.

A dwarf was yelling something at the crowd from his stall, and slowly some dwarves were gathering near him, interested in what he had to offer. Ephian crept behind the stall and moved on ahead, keeping close to the wall of the street. He had to get to the castle where the Grimstborith was, and he had to get as much information out of him as was possible. And if the fancy caught him, one Grimstborith less in the dwarves council of clans wouldn't make too much of a difference.

The wall suddenly gave way to an alley, and Ephian turned around to look down to where it led. Ephian grinned next. The way led straight towards the walls of the castle, within which was the palace, the citadel and the chief.

 _This was a great stroke of luck, I just hope this way doesn't lead me amiss._ Ephian thought, them began to jog down that way. He could use magic to raise himself above the walls, which were about fifty feet high. After that, he just had to get inside the palace, and to Larouf's quarters.

The alley was dark and it seemed that no one was there, except several mice and a few boxes here and there. He began to run after that, then sprinted till he reached the wall and uttered the spell to raise himself up and above, and into the castle.

After a few moments, he was inside, now, the chief was the target. He crept towards the huge doors of the palace, which had about a dozen veiled dwarves guarding it, their armors dark and spears in their hands. He went close enough to see that they were the best soldiers of the Az Sweldn Rak Anhûin, and they were supposed to be extremely difficult to beat. Not that he needed to fight them anyway.

Wearing extremely polished armors of plate, and wielding a wide array of weapons, these dwarves were said to have been training in the one of the most brutal ways ever since they were children. But then again, their methods relied more on brute strength, and most of them weren't so smart. Ephian knew this and he also knew how to use that to his advantage.  
Ephian grabbed a medium sized rock from the ground and weighed it on his hand, calculating how hard he would have to throw it at the guards to knock one of them out, and to make the others come close to investigate. He would also have to kill those of them who would be sent to raise an alarm or something.

 _Let us see . . . if I hit the dwarf standing exactly in between then it'll panic them for sure._ Ephian thought. There were three guards standing right in front of the door, and the rest of them were strolling here and there or just sitting and talking.

 _Sneaking past those will be easy, they will just run at the place from wherever I throw the stone, and it will buy me time as well, so that I can slip inside when they aren't noticing._ Ephian thought.

It was time to act now, and there was no turning back. He hefted the rock and aimed carefully, then threw it as hard as possible at them. The stone shot in a straight line, increasing in velocity for a few seconds, and then it hit the dwarf standing in the middle, and directly on his forehead with enough power to knock him out cold and make him fall to the ground.

The other dwarves looked at him in surprise, then readied their spears and two of them began yelling and pointing at the place form Ephian had thrown the rock. But Ephian wasn't there anymore, actually he was just a few feet away from them, towards the right.

Yelling in their own harsh language, half a dozen dwarves ran towards where they thought the source of the stone was. The remaining remained at the door, though they didn't stand right in front of it.

Ephian prepared to use magic again. He pointed his palm at a spot right above them and muttered, "Adurna."

Several drops of water fell from that spot and onto the heads of the dwarves, who seemed to be surprised out of their wits. They began to move away from the place where the water was falling, and Ephian got a clear way to get in as the dwarves moved away from the doors. He hurried inside, jumping over the wet floor so that he wouldn't create wet footprints.

The dwarves behind seemed to be bemused by what had happened.

 _Height of dim-wittedness, I'll call that! Larouf, you certainly need better guards._ Ephian thought and laughed.

The inner corridor was highly decorated, with carpets on the floor and also hanging from the walls, small tables with vases on top of them were also kept here and there. The place was lighted by several pillars holding a single, huge white flameless lantern in it.

Ephian crept towards the door straight ahead, and he knew that the way led to the reception hall, which then led to a courtyard and then to the stairs which would lead him to the chief quarters. How did he knew all this? He had scried the entire place earlier that day, so he knew most of the place, and also where he would find Larouf. He had gone to the palace once before, for a feast that had been arranged for them by the Grimstborith.

The entrance hall wasn't that large, just half the size of the hall where he and Elva and their dragons had been quartered in. But then again, there were several dwarves on patrol there, about half a dozen and most of them seemed to be patrolling the area that led to the stairs. The Entrance hall was like a small hall, with several small windows on the walls and many couches and tables at the corners. A few doors led out of it, and the one to the extreme right led to the room that had stairs going to the higher and lower levels.

 _Larouf might just be paranoid enough to think that I and Elva are not dead, and that we have found out the connection between him and the Shade's appearance . . . and his paranoia is pointing in the right direction._ Ephian thought, a wicked but invisible grin coming to his face.

He began to make his way towards the right hand side of the room, heading towards the door that led to the stairs, but he had to be careful and avoid getting into the direct line of the torches, which would cast an awkward shadow of his on the ground, and give away his cover.

But the dwarves seemed to be aware that he had entered somehow, because immediately, all of them froze in their position, then they ran towards the stairs, to block the path leading towards those. Ephian cursed, and then began to sprint as well, racing the dwarves. He was faster than the dwarves, so he might just be able to run past them without them noticing, as they themselves were making quite a commotion of tinkling armors, spears banging the floor and battles axes striking the metal plate on their back.

Ephian made it to the stairs before most of the dwarves, and he ran faster as the dwarves drew closer, then sprinted up the stairs, two at a time, while the dwarves stopped at the bottom, oblivious to the fact that Ephian had already gone past them.

 _I think there is a limit to how thick a person can get . . . maybe these dwarves are just unaware of their own stupidity._ Ephian thought, but the thought didn't cross his mind as to how the dwarves had realized he was in the room. He had just let it go like that, thinking that they might have heard him when he entered the room.

Larouf's quarters were just a few stairs above, and he could finally find out where Elva was. He could finally find out where Orúm was, and how he could save the woman he loved with all of his life.

But the serpent slithered nearby, and his coming would mark the occurrence of several events. It wasn't a battle of swords anymore, but a battle of wits. A battle that Ephian was at the brink of losing.


	37. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: Tightening the knot**

The door of the room opened, and a figure wearing white robes entered the room, and Zar'rac stared at him for a split second before he bent down as a sign of respect. The woman strapped to the chair, the strange human rider also stared at the figure in surprise after which the figure's powerful disposition forced her to bend her neck as well.

"Greetings, my lord, we have the captive, a Rider from Alagaesia . . . just as you wished." Zar'rac said, but the figure didn't respond. Instead, it walked over to the chained Rider and stared at her, her marvelous beauty meaningless to him. His body was covered by a white cloak, and he had a hood over his head, which hid his face in shadow.

"You have the Rider . . . where is the dragon? I told you, I need both, and they need to be paired . . ." The figure said, and the voice was masculine, extremely strong but somehow attractive to those who didn't know that the person was the worst of the worst creatures of evil that had ever walked the land.

The Rider shuddered when she heard his voice, and Zar'rac gave him an helpless look, "But my lord, the dragon is huge, and Orúm couldn't get big enough a spot for the-"

"I do not need explanations, Zar'rac, you know my orders and it is your responsibility to see to it that they are carried out . . . How? That is up to you, I trust you are capable to make those judgments on your own?" The lord asked, and Zar'rac bent his head again in acceptance.

"Very well . . . but now that you have got this Rider as a captive, I think I can do something to her . . . have her sent to my private quarters tonight, I shall do my work there." He said, and then turned to the Rider, who seemed to be frightened, her beautiful face had gone extremely pale and her eyes were wide.

"Ah, where are my manners?" He said, then stood in front of the prisoner and pulled back his hood. In the next second, the rider seemed to have gone numb with fear, her mouth fell open and eyes began to close.  
"Rider, I am the lord of this land, and you may call me . . . Crugan." He said, and the Rider fainted, fear had overcome her, and Crugan laughed, a horrible yet pleasing laugh.

Zar'rac stood quietly as Crugan continued to laugh for a while, then turned to look at him. The two shades stared at each other for a moment. Crugan had bone white skin, a bald head, and black eyes in contrast to his skin. And his sword was black as well, in contrast to the color of his robes. His fingers were a little darker shade of white than his head, but in truth, he was truly intimidating. The other shade wasn't as frightening as him.

He had green hair, which were longer than average, horrible purple eyes and his fingers were black, even though his skin seemed normal. His sword also seemed normal, as did his clothes. Zar'rac was Crugan's right hand man, the one who did almost anything and everything Crugan told him to do. He usually got the most difficult missions, and he was the one who usually managed to get things done without even drawing a sword, although he didn't stand much of a chance against Crugan.

"Zar'rac, now I have another mission for you . . . one you must do yourself and not send others to do it for you . . ." Crugan said, and Zar'rac nodded.

"Yes, my lord, I shall do what you wish."

"I need you to invade Alagaesia . . . from the north, into the realm of the elves, and capture or kill their king. If it is possible, then try to find out who the lead Rider is, but don't challenge him or try to fight him. The power of the dragons is a lot, they are the toughest and smartest creatures, and we need to use all of our cunning to get the best of them . . . From here on, it is your responsibility, take as many men as you require and take whichever city you think is best, but do not attack the capital directly." Crugan told him, and Zar'rac nodded again.

"Of course my lord . . . I shall attack a city near the capital first, then attack the capital, whatever it is. I don't think it will be much of a challenge. " Zar'rac said, but Crugan shook his head.

"Don't expect them to be weak, they are much stronger than they appear to be. It seems that the lone rider and two dragons that were left behind in those caves forced Orúm to flee to the dwarves where his reinforcements are." Crugan told him, then stroked the face of the Rider roughly, his fingers scraping her pure skin.

"Leave tonight, as soon as possible, and take all the men with you. The spot exactly north of edge of Du Weldenvarden has a place for you to enter. I expect you to take a city within the week. Is that agreeable?" Crugan asked.

"Yes my lord, I and my men will leave within the hour, and probably reach Alagaesia within three hours." Zar'rac said, then turned around and began to leave for the transportation point.

Leaves rustled, and the stream continued to flow softly, while the elves at the city of Nadindel began to enter the sleep like trances, eager to rest after their tiring day. But one of them was wide awake, and meant to go ahead and meet someone whom she had to talk to. A hundred years she had waited for a chance for vengeance, and now finally, she could see it as a candle suddenly lighting up in the dark.

A hooded figure slowly approached the city, careful to keep himself to himself and avoid looking at any other living being. Elves could listen to the thoughts of other animals and even talk to them if they so wished. This would mean that he would be caught by the next day if he tarried too long in the city. As it was, he had come there for a special reason, to get an elf under him, an elf who had decided to betray her own people for the sake of revenge, to satisfy her own fury and bloodlust directed at one person, Eragon.

He had found her, when he had tried to explore the city with his mind the previous night. It had almost ended when this elf, whom he suspected never slept, had discovered and almost indulged him into a mental battle. She probably would not have stood much of a chance, but then she recognized his true intentions and he recognized hers, which led to a mutual understanding between them, and they agreed to meet at the edge of the city the next day, and that was where he was now.

Almost two days had passed since he had left Alalea, and most of the first day had been listening to sleep bringing reports from his men, and also to interesting controversies taking place at the capital with the arrival of Anurin and Garjzla.

But now, he was going to meet this elven lady, whoever she was. He was curious, which was uncommon for shades like him. Crugan would have laughed if he would have seen his right hand man now, curious of the little things of the elves. But then again, Zar'rac's curiosity was one of the reasons why he was so efficient. If he needed to know something, he tried to find out everything about it. He sometimes considered it as a part of his work, whenever he had to scout an area or attack any place, he took a couple of days to take a look around on his own, ignoring everything that his officers told him, just out of curiosity and to check whether all the information he had got was right or not. In most cases if would be right, in other cases it would be wrong by a small margin.

He was standing below a pine tree then, which had three branches bending downwards as if to grab and scoop out the earth below. This was the place they had agreed to meet, alone. If the elf brought someone with her, he would refuse to have a conversation with her.

There was something really different about the shades Crugan had created, and about other shades that are formed by accidents or the purpose of sorcerers. The shade latter always considered themselves as multiples, always regarded themselves as 'we', and always had second or third thoughts about each and every decision they made.

But the shades created by Crugan, like him or Orúm or even Durza to some extent, were quite different. They considered themselves as a single living entity, even though there were multiple spirits inside them. They had a sense of unity, and they always remained adamant at their own decisions, not giving a thought to the perspective of others, and never having second thoughts about anything or anyone. Their first decision was their final decision.

A soft wind blew towards the south, and his hood nearly came off, but he pulled the cords tightly and made a casual knot. He kept a hand on his sword, and he kept his ears strained for any sound. His eyes were also quite keen, he could see quite well even in the dark around them.

 _Where is she? Has she made a plan to ambush me or something similar? She will regret it if she even tries._ Zar'rac thought, then looked around.

Suddenly, he heard soft footsteps coming towards him, and he turned around, his hand on his sword. Behind him was the elven lady who wanted to meet him, or he hoped. She was wearing a dark green cloak, which covered her body, and had a hood pulled up so that he could only see her lips and chin. Even by the small portion that he saw, he could tell that she was quite beautiful to behold, and any mortal would do anything to win her hand.

"Are you the person who I am supposed to meet here?" Zar'rac asked, his voice a whisper of trees.

"Aye, I am the elf . . . are you the invader?" She asked back, and her voice was extremely soft and entrancing, though it didn't have any effect on Zar'rac, who only noted these features of her and the way in which they would be useful.

"Yes, I am the invader . . . I mean you no harm as of now, and I trust you don't mean to attack me either." Zar'rac told her, speaking in the Ancient language.

The elf nodded and also replied in the ancient Language, "I don't mean you any harm either . . . I suppose we can trust each other with our names."

"Perhaps . . . I am Zar'rac, and I am the loyal servant of the lord of the land of Alalea." Zar'rac told her, and the elf jumped slightly when she heard the name of the land.

"Alalea? Isn't that where-"

"Aye, that is where you elves came from, but now, things have changed there, but that is not your concern. You live in Alagaesia and it is where you belong . . . do you agree?" Zar'rac asked her, and she nodded.

"Well then, who are you? What is your name?" Zar'rac asked her, and she was quiet for a while. Then she slowly reached up to her hood with thin, delicate fingers and pulled it down.

Zar'rac saw the elf before him, and he himself was dazed for a matter of seconds. She was an elf with thin lips, fair hair, a beautiful face that hid rage and sorrow, and shocking blue eyes. Her hair was straight and long and streaming down to her waist. Her eyes were extremely deep and proved that she was extremely old.

"I am Lady Enaevia . . . Lady of Nadindel."

Deaother yawned mightily, then stood up straight and stretched. It was morning, and he had finally had a good night's sleep. The past few days had been quite nice for him, he had been spending almost every hour with Vaelia, they even had lunch together.

Kielle seemed to be quite distressed about the fact that Worian had left them, and Deaother had suspicions that the true reason for Kielle to tell him all those things about Worian might have been because she herself had passionate feelings for him, and didn't want Vaelia to get to him first. When he weighed them both out, Deaother knew that Vaelia had always stood a better chance of becoming Worian's mate, and he was sure Kielle knew that, which was why she did what she did.

Deaother rubbed his forehead, still a little drowsy, then went over to wash his face. He had planned to go to the tallest pines in Ellesmera with Vaelia, and also visit the Menoa Tree again. The last time he had visited it, he had been surprised by the fact that the tree had contacted him and had conversed with him. He had been even more surprised when the tree had seemed to know a great deal about his heritage, especially about Eragon. He had no idea why.

Splashing his face with cold water, he looked back to all the time he had spent with Vaelia in the past several weeks, and also the promise he had given King Dathedr to always be with Vaelia. That promise certainly had forced him to do things that he normally wouldn't have done, in terms of getting close to her.  
Deaother finally stood straight, then changed his cloths, donning a light lamarae and black leggings. He began to take his sword, but then thought better of it and strapped on a belt knife.

He could always use magic to defend himself if the unlikely event of a fight came up. But ever since the Ra'zac and the Lethrblaka had invaded Ellesmera, Deaother had been carrying his sword everywhere and getting many awkward looks from the elves.

Deaother walked out his room after a few minutes, heading for the king's quarters. He knew Vaelia was waiting for him there, and began to hurry towards their room in the Tialdari hall. His footsteps were loud in the silent surroundings. Wherever the other elves were, they were really quiet and probably didn't want to disturb other people. Deaother could even hear a small stream flowing nearby.

After several minutes, he reached the grand room, and knocked thrice, waiting for someone to open the door.

After a few seconds, a hand suddenly came to his shoulder, and he jumped in surprise.

"Hello Deaother, I trust you rested well?" A voice said from behind him, and he jumped in surprise.

"Vaelia?" Deaother asked, turning around. He had recognized her voice immediately, but he didn't want things to seem odd. Vaelia stood right behind him, a pleasant and fresh look on her face.

"Yes, its me . . . you are early today." Vaelia said. "You usually take longer time to come here and call me out."

"Well . . . I got up early, but you've never surprised me like that from behind." Deaother told her and

Vaelia smiled at him, then stroked his cheek and said, "You have surprised me a lot in your time here, I thought I should surprise you as well, although it wouldn't be a big thing anyway."

Deaother nodded at her, smiling back and began walking towards the gate of the hall. Vaelia also walked along side him, looking much more pleasant than before. Something very odd was at work, and Deaother noticed it. Vaelia had seemed happier and happier when she had spent time with him here and there, but she had never been so enthusiastic. Deaother smiled to himself and turned to her, just to find that she was looking directly at him with her captivating eyes.

"Where shall we go first?" Deaother asked her.

"Let us go the Menoa tree," Vaelia said, still staring right into his eyes. "After that we can head for the pines. They are way towards the west, and we will have to hurry if we want to come back in time."

"I agree, let us do that . . . I dunno why, but whenever I go close to the Menoa tree, she always enters my mind and asks me things about my mother and Vroengard, and also about dragons and their populations. Some questions she asked me were horribly difficult to answer . . ."Deaother told her, and she turned to him, worried.

"If you don't want to go there, then we can just head for the pines and spend the rest of the day on the tree tops . . . if you want, that is." Vaelia said, and Deaother had to stop himself from raising his eyebrows. She had never offered to spent the entire day alone with him in any one place, she would take him around the entire city, sometimes to places which she herself had discovered as a child and had not disclosed it to anyone else, not even Kielle.

"Of course its fine, I don't have any problem." Deaother told her, and she smiled widely and nodded.  
Deaother noticed the change in her behavior, now more clearly than earlier. Was she shy? She had never before asked things in such a soft voice, stared at him so openly and tried to let him have his way before. She would just say the name of the place which they were heading for, and they would go there and talk about something, spar or explore the place.

Sometimes Kielle would be with them, and they would try cheering her up. Deaother was sure he had seen King Dathedr observing them almost every time he and Vaelia would spend time together, and he was sure there would be a smile on his face. As far as he was concerned, Vaelia was in safe hands, and that mattered to him the most.

They set off towards the west, heading for the spot. The pines that they were heading for were very old, they had been present even before the Du Fyrn Skulblaka, and had survived for a long time ever since.

They walked out of the city, their footsteps soft on the grass. The pine filled forest seemed quite safe to Deaother, it had become his home now, and he hoped he would live there for quite a long time, maybe forever.

"How far is it from here?" Deaother asked her after a while, as they were almost out of the city.

"We will have to run, it is about an hour's sprinting from Ellesmera, and that too at my speed . . . if you can keep up that is." Vaelia said playfully, then suddenly began to run forward, chuckling merrily. The sound of her laugh made Deaother look at her, surprised at her sudden weird behaviour, by which time she had gone quite far away. After that, she turned around and stared at him, and seemed be surprised to see him just standing there.

"I thought you were slow, but not as slow as a snail, Deaother, come on hurry up." Vaelia shouted, and Deaother jumped slightly, startled out of his reverie.

"Oh yeah . . . I was just seeing how far you could go without looking back." Deaother told her and sprinted after her.

He seemed to be faster than she had anticipated, because she gave him one look of surprise, then turned around and ran into the thicket of pines. Deaother took a deep breath, then put on another burst of speed.

"So, Ellesmera is extremely difficult to capture, eh?" Zar'rac asked Enaevia. They were at Zar'rac's camp north of the city of Nadindel, discussing the best way to infiltrate both the cities. Enaevia had told them the way both the cities were planned and the places where the elven guards were mostly supposed to be stationed.

The plan to capture Nadindel had already been made, and now they were just going to lightly discuss Ellesmera.

"Aye, Ellesmera is the toughest city to capture, which I think is obvious . . . Its tough because of the way it has been planned. It hasn't been made by looking at a piece of parchment with the positions of the buildings marked on it. In truth, it has been made using the natural position of the trees, unlike the other cities. And the elves have adjusted themselves to those positions, so that they can guard the capital to the best of their abilities." Enaevia told them, and Zar'rac nodded. After a few seconds, a sly grin came to his face.

"Maybe, instead of complicating things too much, I can just send some of my . . . . companions there so that they can find out all these things and we can get a clearer picture. You can tell us the details when we get the images from their minds." Zar'rac said.

Enaevia turned around and was quiet for a few seconds, then said, "I suppose that is better, but tell your companions to not go too close to the city. Ellesmera has a guardian, an elf called Gilderien. He is extremely powerful and it would be nearly impossible for you to cut past him."

Zar'rac smiled wickedly and said, "I think I know the solution to that problem."


	38. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Danger is close

Vaelia chuckled again, coming to a halt and taking a deep breath. She had been racing against Deaother for almost an hour, and she seemed to be winning as well because he was far behind. She stopped now, a little tired after all the running, then looked back again. Deaother was nowhere to be seen, and even when she strained her eyes she couldn't find where he was.

 _Where is he?_ Vaelia thought, then walked to the side so that she could see him if he was behind a pine or hiding under a bush. But still, she couldn't see him anywhere, he had vanished.

 _Is he using magic? . . . no, why would he use magic, its not such a bad thing if he loses to me, he didn't mind losing to me earlier . . . Where is he?_ Vaelia thought again, now worried.

"Deaother?" Vaelia called out, her voice soft and rushing through the trees like a stream of sound.  
There was no reply, and Vaelia grew more tensed.

 _What if he tripped and hit his head on a root? Or went the wrong way, it would be horrible if he got lost in the woods . . . Oh no!_ Vaelia thought and began to backtrack her way hurriedly.

"Deaother?" She called out even louder, and there was still no reply. Beginning to panic, Vaelia stopped and closed her eyes, then extended her mind in all directions, as far as she could. It was a blissful feeling, immersing herself in the flow of the forest, she loved becoming one with the forest, listening through the beetles, watching through the ants and feeling through the trees.

She searched a little more, and found a guarded conscience, one she could not enter.

 _I've got you now, Deaother!_ Vaelia thought. The mind was very close, in her immediate vicinity, and she realized that he had been intending to surprise her. But then again, she was clever than him in that sense.

The mind was well guarded, but it retreated at her touch. Vaelia knew that she had found him, but she didn't want to let him go without a little payback for scaring her.

 _Prepare to be surprised again, Deaother._ Vaelia thought to herself.

She took a deep breath, then launched her conscience at his, but her attack was blocked by the powerful barriers. A little frustrated, she launched herself at him again, only to have her attack blocked once more, but the barriers were weaker now.

 _It seems I won't be able to enter his mind without using all of my strength . . ._ Vaelia thought,  
then launched another mental attack at him, and this time stronger than the ones before. The attack was so strong that the mental barriers faltered and got huge cracks on it. The conscience hurriedly began to run away, but it could not before Vaelia entered it and began to seize control.

Inside, she found thoughts of panic, a little amusement and mostly astonishment. She had found Deaother, and he was quite dumbstruck by what she had done. Vaelia opened her eyes, she now knew where he was. But he was still trying to run away.

Deaother, stop running, I know where you are. Let me catch up with you. Vaelia told him.

 _You know where . . . . never mind, and aye, I'll wait._ Deaother told her.

Vaelia smiled to herself, and hurried towards where Deaother was, a few yards towards the right, behind a thick, flowering shrub. It would have been impossible for her to see him behind that, and the same for him as well, but now she knew that he was right behind it.

"Deaother, you really thought you could get me like that?" Vaelia asked as she walked around the shrub. She stopped short, there was no one there.

A hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her around, and in a split second she found herself face to face with Deaother, their faces inches from each others. His brown eyes, kind and gentle, looked into her own black ones for a moment, until she felt heat reach up to her face and hurriedly looked down.

"No, I didn't, but there was no harm in trying. If I would have managed to get to you, I am sure you would  
have been stunned, but, well it didn't happen. Never mind that now, where are the pines?"Deaother asked her, and let go of her hand. As soon as he let go, she suddenly felt a little drained, as if something had been taken from within. Something that she had always wanted, but had never got. Something priceless.

 _What is happening to me? . . ._ Vaelia thought to herself, then shook her head and looked up to see Deaother a little bewildered.

"Vaelia, are you lost in your own thoughts?" Deaother asked her, and she raised her eyebrows.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because . . . well, your face went a little pale and I thought that you were . . . thinking about something because its not like you to leave a question unanswered." Deaother told her.

"What question?" Vaelia asked, now quite confused. Deaother raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, leave that. Let us go to those pines; I am itching to see them. "Deaother said, and she nodded.

They walked together after that. To Vaelia, each step seemed deliberately slow, taking a lot longer than it usually did. But even though the passing time seemed to be slower, she wasn't complaining. She was happy to be where she was, next to Deaother, showing him the places which she had known from her childhood. Deaother had once told her that his mother had done the same to his father when he had visited Ellesmera to train as a Dragon Rider. Vaelia smiled at how awkward she had felt then. But now, she somehow felt happy about it, Deaother was in the place where Eragon had been, and she was in the place Arya had been. Arya had been a princess, and she herself was now a princess. Eragon was the son of a dragon Rider, and so was Deaother. Arya had Eragon had mated, so it was obvious that . . .

 _What is happening to me?_ Vaelia thought at that instant, surprised at the thoughts she herself was having. _Deaother is a lot like his father, but that doesn't mean he'll do everything just like his father did . . . he can do different things . . . and just because his father mated a princess doesn't mean that Deaother will also mate a princess . . . he . . . he can always forget me and mate someone else . . ._ Vaelia thought, and suddenly a horrible feeling of emptiness and sorrow filled her.

 _No . . . that . . . what am I thinking?_ Vaelia thought, disturbed by the thread her own thoughts were making. But somehow, she found the thought of having another elven lady in her place, by Deaother's side, extremely unbearable.

 _And Eragon is a dragon Rider, Deaother isn't . . ._ Vaelia thought as well.

"Vaelia?" Deaother said suddenly.

Vaelia jumped, "Uh, what? . . . oh, yes Deaother?"

"Are these the pines we are looking for? . . . And, are you alright?" Deaother asked her, and she looked up.

The pines above them were extremely tall, higher than any other in the area they were in. Indeed, they were taller than most trees in Du Weldenvarden, except the ones that were present on the hills.

"Yes, these are tallest tree around here. Come on, let us climb them, then I can show you what Ellesmera, and the rest of Du Weldenvarden, is truly like." Vaelia told him, and Deaother gaped at her as if she had threatened to shave his hair off.

"C-Climb them?" Deaother asked her, and she nodded absent mindedly, then turned to him with raised eyebrows.

"Don't you know how to climb them?" Vaelia asked him, incredulous.

". . . I do know how to climb them, but I'd rather not." Deaother said, and he seemed to be a little embarrassed. But it had more effect on Vaelia. For an instant, she was staring at Deaother, dumbstruck, then she chuckled, which slowly increased to laughter. Deaother got an embarrassed smile on his face.

She laughed hard for over a minute, but Deaother didn't say anything. He seemed to be enjoying watching her snicker, and listening to the sound of her amusement as well.

"That's really . . . you mean to say, you really know nothing about climbing trees?" Vaelia asked him after a  
while, and he shook his head, his cheeks flaming red.

"No Vaelia, not like that . . . I can climb trees yes, but I don't want to . . . the last time I tried was when I had been about six years old. I had climbed high, then the branch had broken off and I had fallen. But my mother had caught me, and I had got a good shouting . . . I'd rather not try again now, especially considering the great heights of these trees . . ." Deaother said, then looked up and shivered.

Vaelia was perplexed by what he said. Chuckling, she reached forward and without thinking, she stroked his cheek for a while, but he didn't turn around and look into her eyes. He was too embarrassed.

"You are the son of the Lead Rider . . . slayer of a Ra'zac, someone who has defeated the king of elves at sparring and you can't climb trees? I mean . . . you are scared of climbing trees?" Vaelia asked him, and he nodded.

" . . . Aye, I am frightened of the prospect of climbing trees now." Deaother said, and Vaelia giggled, something which she rarely did.

"Oh come on, its not funny . . ." Deaother said, and he sounded so pathetic, she chortled even more. She wiped her eyes hurriedly, which had started to water because of laughing so much.

"Deaother . . . oh my Deaother, I have never laughed so much before, you really are a great person . . . Oh hahahaha." Vaelia laughed even harder, holding her stomach.

"If you say so . . . alright fine! You go ahead and climb those trees, I'll watch for a while, then try climbing, is that fine?"Deaother asked her.

Vaelia replied only after she managed to stop laughing, "Of course, but you have to come up, no excuses. Do you agree?" Vaelia asked him.

"Sure, I will come up there." Deaother said, and now he had no choice, as he had said that in the Ancient Language.

Vaelia stared at him for a while, glee still present in her eyes. Then she turned around and took a running start before leaping high into the air and grabbing a huge branch about ten feet higher than the ground. Then she swung her feet around and climbed on top of the branch, her hair billowing behind her. She was quite light, which was why she was able to climb the pines so easily. Deaother would have a tougher task of climbing these trees than her. But his plans were different.

Vaelia leapt high from that branch and grabbed another one about fifteen feet higher than the previous one. She managed to climb over it again, and looked down to see where Deaother was.

To her immense surprise, he wasn't there. She hurriedly began to look here and there again.

 _Where did he go now? He promised he would come up, so where is he?_ Vaelia thought, and suddenly, someone touched her shoulder. She jumped, startled, then turned around to see Deaother, who seemed to be extremely amused.

"Deaother! How did you get here?" Vaelia asked him, surprised.

Deaother grinned, "I used magic, and climbed till here, then decided to take a break. How much higher should we go?"

Vaelia stared at him for a while, impressed by his presence of mind, then she looked up and pointed at another branch, loads more feet high, "That is where we have to go, I will tell you what we must do after that."

A chilling breeze flew between the pines, like whispers of ancient souls trapped there for eternity, hoping to be freed. But the breeze carried more that indecipherable messages of the dead, it brought the sign of the coming of the living.

A couple of twigs snapped as a heavy, leather boot stepped over them.

The leaves rustled lightly, and their sound was like the trees telling each other of the coming of creatures that could walk on two legs.

Someone snarled heavily as they nearly tripped over a tree root.

"A nice mission we have got, trudging across unknown lands in day light. I just hope there are no elves on guard here." One man said.

"Don't say that . . . I heard that Zar'rac plans to read our minds, he might hear what you are saying. I would be careful if I were you." Another one replied.

There were seven of these men in total, out of which one was the captain. Their mission was simple. They had to scout the region around Ellesmera and had to find out as much as they could about the city without causing any uproar. These men were foreigners, they had come to Alagaesia under Zar'rac's command.

"At least we won't have to face the wrath of the elves once more, and this time there are fewer of us. I'd rather prefer what we are doing." A man said.

"I agree, it is better for us, at least we will survive. All we have to do is scout around the city and go back, and by the time we return, the others will probably have captured that Nadindel elf city." The man said. Zar'rac was going to begin the attack the elven city of Nadindel that very week.

The group trudged on in the pine filled forest, ever wishing to leave the forest behind and to return to their own homeland.

"Quiet . . . I hear something . . . Follow me as silently as you can, I think there are a couple of elves ahead of us." The captain said suddenly.

Then slowed their pace, and looked down at the ground, avoiding anything that would make noise and give them away. The men strained their ears, trying to listen to what their captain had heard.

Their captain was a hard man, extremely strong and tall, with intensely broad shoulders and blonde hair that were always askew. He was one of the best captains, and got almost any sort of mission done, sometimes on his own.

But now, they heard the sound that their captain had picked up. But what they heard wasn't any ordinary sound. They heard melody, they heard singing, and even in their darkened hearts, they found happiness when they heard the music. It was the melody of the singing to two elves, one male and one female. Their song slowly won the men over, and they wished to listen to more and more of it, even though they couldn't understand what the elves were singing.

The captain was the first to come out of his reverie, "Move you maggots, you'll get rats for food if you don't hurry . . . we don't want those two elves to spot us, so I think we should make camp here for a while, then continue ahead."

The men jumped out of their trance-like states, mesmerized by the melody of the elves, then they continued to move on ahead. The elves they had heard were far ahead, but they had heard them just because the breeze was blowing towards them.

"Deaother, over here!" Vaelia said.

She had climbed up till the required height, and was now calling Deaother to her. He was slowly levitating himself towards her, looking really strange. He came closer to her, and she stretched out a hand for him to grab. He grabbed it, and immediately stopped the magic, almost falling down. But Vaelia held his hand tightly, and pulled him up with inhuman strength.

"Thank you, Vaelia." Deaother said as he managed to stand safely on the wide branch. There was enough room there for both of them to stand without causing any inconvenience to each other. Deaother slowly stood up, placing his feet carefully, then looked around. They were almost at the top of the tree, and as he looked around, he saw an ocean of pines and tree tops around him, seemingly endless in all directions.

A cold breeze blew towards them, proving that winter was near. Deaother smiled as he observed the enlightening vista, and he suddenly wished that he could spend his life there forever more, climbing trees, doing what he loved to do, spending time with Vaelia, and he even considered having a mate. Having someone he could love with all his heart, someone he could share all his things with, someone he could trust with his life, was something he would love to have.

At that moment itself, he knew that the only person who could be his mate was Vaelia, he always had felt a loving inclination towards her, and now, he knew what it was all about. He now knew whom he could trust, whom he would like to spend his life with, whom he could love.

Almost as fast as this recognition had struck him, he felt dread grow inside him.

 _I do love her . . . but does she love me? Does she feel anything for me? I don't know yet . . . but whatever her feelings are, she doesn't love anyone right now, so perhaps I can . . . try and propose to her._ Deaother thought, then immediately decided not to do it. Now was not the time for it.

"Deaother are you asleep or what?" Vaelia said, and Deaother jumped and looked at her, confused.

"Yeah, I am . . . I mean, no! I am not asleep!" Deaother said confusedly, and Vaelia eyed him for a while, as if trying to figure out what he was thinking. But then her eyes cleared and she looked away, but not before Deaother noticed her eyes go soft and tender.

"I was saying that we should sing to these trees, together, so that they make a sort of soft floor for us to rest on. I am sure you are tired after using all that magic." Vaelia told him, and he nodded.

"I am tired," Deaother said. "I suppose a little rest would be appreciated."

Vaelia smiled gently, and he smiled back, then she held his hand all of a sudden, her finger intertwined around his, and said, "I hope you know how to sing . . . we have to ask the trees to move their branches so that they all intertwine like our fingers have intertwined around each other, and they should be strong enough for us to walk and lie down on. I'll sing it first and you listen, so that you know what the lines are, then you can continue along with me."

They both raised their joined hands in front of them, under Vaelia's instructions, and she stood right next to him, her shoulder brushing against his.

"I'll begin . . ." Vaelia said, and took a deep breath. Then she began to sing, and her voice was so entrancing, Deaother was almost immediately swept away by it. The song captured his imagination, and its melody drew a picture of scenic beauty on the canvas that was his mind. Slowly and gradually, as the song progressed, the picture seemed to become clearer and clearer, reminding Deaother of fast flowing, cool streams in valleys formed by hills, covered with lush green forests under an evening sun. Light breeze blowing, bringing white clouds into the pictures. At first, the picture was colorless, but then, slowly colors came into play, making trees a dark green, the sky a forget-me-not blue, the stream the color of sapphire and the clouds seemingly silver. The sun was a fiery red ball, still whole but sinking.

The song progressed, and Deaother smiled to himself, and he could picture the sun setting and setting, and when it was halfway down the horizon, two dragons flew into the picture. They were blue and green in color, and were huge, bearing a rider each.

 _Saphira and Valinor . . . And my parents._ Deaother thought, and he saw those dragons fly off, away from the sun. His smile widened. As the sun and the dragons disappeared, the song also began to stop, and it finally became dark in his mind. The sun of his imagination had set, and quite suddenly he was back where he had been, at the tree top with Vaelia.

Vaelia had stopped singing, and was looking at him curiously, and he continued to smile and he looked at her. Just then, he realized that she was blushing, and that he had been staring at her all the while. He hurriedly turned away, then said, "Vaelia . . .you sing beautifully . . . I am sure that the trees will listen to you without me, your voice is so . . . entrancing . . ." Deaother said absentmindedly, then suddenly realized what he had said and looked away, trying to hide his reddening face.

But Vaelia didn't seem to mind it. Instead, she smiled at him, then said, "Why thank you, Deaother, you are took kind . . . But if I sing alone this will take far too long. So, I still think you should sing with me."

"But . . . I don't know what to sing." Deaother said, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you listen when I was singing?" Vaelia asked him, her eyebrows suddenly arched.

"I . . . I did, but I couldn't memorize all the words, perhaps you should sing the stanza again." Deaother said.

Vaelia stared at him, and she seemed to be a little perturbed.

"Are you scared of singing as well, like you are scared of climbing trees?" Vaelia asked him.

"No, I am not scared, I will sing with you . . . just sing once more."

Vaelia took a deep breath, then began singing again. And this time, Deaother paid attention to what she was singing, and he managed to understand the meaning of the song, and he immediately realized what the lyrics and how he had to sing. The only matter now was to synchronize it with Vaelia's singing.

The song was just of four lines that were being repeated again and again, and changed the shape of the trees, willing them to turn their branches and interlock all of them to form a solid floor. To any person who was eavesdropping, the song would seem extremely beautiful, and they would ignore the fact that it was just a repetition of four lines. The person would be lost in the melody of the princess's voice.

As soon as Vaelia finished singing the last line, Deaother joined as she began singing those four lines again. All he had to do was speak to the trees, tell them, ask them, request them to move their branches and shift their trunks in the way he and Vaelia wanted them to.

Deaother began singing along with her enthusiastically, and she turned around and stared at him with a pleased look, which he returned. Soon, they were both standing next to each other and singing more and more, and in front of them, several branches began to come closer and closer, until they wedged into each other tightly and formed a nice, springy floor which was a dozen feet wide and ten feet long. They continued to sing, and the branches moved again, coming to same level and intertwining around each other, so that the place they were making would not break even if a storm attacked the city.

And so the two elves sang together, and as their singing grew more and more pleasant, their hearts grew closer. Vaelia wished nothing more than to sing with Deaother forever more, and Deaother wished to be there, with her as long as he could stay.

But that was not to be so. Far to the east, armored feet trampled the forest floor.


	39. Chapter 38

_Chapter 38: Another Interruption_

Vaelia lightly stepped onto the makeshift base they had made, and walked a little ahead, enjoying the feeling of having a springy and comfortable floor beneath her feet.

"Come on Deaother!" Vaelia said. "It is quite nice here, you'll like this a lot."

Deaother smiled at how happy she seemed to be, then jumped onto the base, made of the branches intertwined together. He felt himself being pushed back up by the floor.

"It really is quite good," Deaother said. "We can stay here all day, if you want that is."

Vaelia turned to him, and by looking at the pleased expression on her face, Deaother realized that was just what she wanted to do, spend the time here.

"Deaother, you are missing the most breathtaking aspect of this," Vaelia said, and pointed towards the west.

They were between the two tallest pines, and that would probably be the tallest location around.

Deaother turned around, and a look of awe came to his face. He was staring at a captivating sight of a forest of tall, thin trees standing proud. The forest stretched on endlessly towards the west, north and east, but towards the south he could see faint outline of grassy plains, having fewer trees. The scenery was so rich, Deaother glad just to be where he was, and just to be able to enjoy watching what all was around him.

"You see? This is the beauty of my home, Deaother, this is why the elves love the forest." Vaelia said, standing by his side.

Deaother stared ahead for a while, then turned to look at her, "This is the beauty of . . . our home. And I love our forest as well . . ." Deaother said, and Vaelia got an extremely pleasant smile on her face, her eyes gazing right into his. He could almost see himself being reflected in those black orbs.

"So . . . you have deemed yourself as one of us elves, as a true elf of Ellesmera?" Vaelia asked him, and Deaother nodded.

"I have, and I am more than happy about it," Deaother told her, then moved a little closer to her. "And I wonder if you are alright with it."

Vaelia raised her eyebrows, "I . . . I am alright with it, of course . . . but I have one condition."  
"What is it?" Deaother asked her, a little curious now. What condition would she have for him?

Vaelia stared at him for a while, then bit her lip and turned away for a while, then looked back, her glance changing with a quick twitch of her neck.

"I want you to promise that whatever happens, you won't do anything that brings harm to this forest . . . and you will always do what is necessary to protect our home . . . it is an oath that all us take when we come of age." Vaelia told him, and he jumped slightly. His parents had never told him about any such oath, but then again, Vaelia couldn't be lying.

"If that's the case then . . . well, yes, I agree to your condition." Deaother said.

Vaelia beamed at him, then turned around and looked down again. Something about the way she was behaving made Deaother feel a little uncomfortable. She was avoiding his gaze, she was avoiding staring at him for too long, but even after that, she wanted him to stay with her. Deaother got a little confused about the way in which she was behaving.

 _What does she want to imply by this?_ Deaother thought, but then, he faintly heard the sound of a  
person tripping over a root and falling to the ground. Maybe it was his imagination, maybe it was real.

Whatever it was, he hurriedly spun around and began scanning the forest around with his keen eyes. He didn't find anything, even after a couple of minutes of searching, so he concluded that it might have just been a bear or some other animal.

"Well, let us sit down . . ." Vaelia said, already beginning to settle down. "Its not like we can do anything else."

She sat down, cross legged, and stared at him for a while as he walked upto her and settled next to her. Deaother sat down as well, his long legs stretched out in front of him, and his palms seemingly pushing the branches down, supporting his back.

"Deaother, did you expect to come to Ellesmera? . . . when you were younger, that is." Vaelia asked him, while Deaother eased his tired body after all the magic he had used.

"Not really . . ." Deaother replied. "But I did want to leave Doru Araeba and find out what it really felt like to live outside the city, in a forest like Du Weldenvarden, and to live on one's own. Its feels good to be here now, I am quite content to live here."

Vaelia smiled at him, and he smiled back. They had been spending time like this for most of the previous weeks, just finding a quite spot and talking to each other. Vaelia had been doing it just to take Deaother's mind away from his thoughts of killing and of death, and she had been immensely pleased to see the change in his behavior. His was quite pleasant now, and very lively.

Deaother had been spending time with her just because he wanted to, but he himself had not realized how he had changed by being with her, and staying in her company. He still wondered about the promise he had given Dathedr, and also about Worian, and whenever his thoughts would turn towards his fight with the Ra'zac, he would simply shift them to the time he spent with Vaelia and how happy he was about it.

"Deaother, I need to know something . . . about Worian." Vaelia said suddenly, and Deaother turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"Well . . ." Vaelia began, but she seemed to be uncertain as to how she would express herself. "Where is he? And what did he tell you? I am quite curious."

Deaother stared at her, blankly at first, then turned away. His promise of secrecy to Worian didn't allow him from saying anything regarding whatever he had discussed in the conversation. He turned back to Vaelia with an apologetic look.

"I am sorry, but I can't tell you . . . I promised I wouldn't . . ." Deaother said, and a flicker of frustration came to her eyes.

"I see . . . but, he has left, hasn't he?" Vaelia asked him, and he nodded. "So . . . I should stop trying to remember him, he left and things ended there. He didn't want me, and I was acting like a fool, nothing else . . ."

Deaother stared at her, pained at the fact that he couldn't help her, because of his own oath. He had been a little jealous of Worian because of the affection Vaelia had held towards him, but all his jealousy had been wiped away after the conversation he had had with Worian.

"Vaelia, you weren't acting like a fool . . . these things are natural . . ." Deaother said in an attempt to pacify her.

"I don't see these natural things having much of an effect on you." Vaelia said, then came closer, now sitting on her knees. "Now that I think about it, I have never asked you whether you have feelings for anyone."

Deaother's eyes widened for a while, and he hurriedly turned away from her, looking at the ground far below. Vaelia must have noticed his uneasiness, and he was sure he heard her giggle very quietly.

 _Oh no . . . if she asks me if I have feelings for anyone, I will have to say yes, I can't lie in this language._ Deaother thought, already beginning to curse his bad luck.

"So Deaother . . . do you have feelings for anyone? Have you found someone you would like to mate?" Vaelia whispered to him, and she seemed to have come unexpectedly close, her mouth seemed to be right next to his ear.

Deaother didn't reply for a while, while he furiously thought how he would escape the situation. But now, it was painfully obvious that he did have feelings for someone or the other.

"Answer me Deaother, do you have feelings for any elven lady, someone you think is worthy to be your mate?" Vaelia questioned, and her voice seemed to be quite sharp now, as if she was eager to know.

"Vaelia . . . I . . . I do have feelings for someone, yes." Deaother said finally, and he could picture a triumphant look on Vaelia's face.

 _All that I need to do is tell her that I have those feelings for her . . . and its all done._ Deaother thought, flexing his fingers impatiently.

Vaelia's face suddenly came up in front of him, and he jumped.

"Who is she?" Vaelia asked him.

Deaother raised an eyebrow, acting as if he hadn't understood what she had said.

"Who do you have feelings for, Deaother?" Vaelia asked clearly, and Deaother hurriedly began scuffling away from her.

"Sorry, Vaelia, but I am not going to tell you that." Deaother said, and began to jump to his feet. He had made a quite stupid plan, to run for it, all the way back to Ellesmera and to lock himself up in his room for a couple of days. But, what happened next completely ruined his plan.

Vaelia grabbed his hand firmly and pulled it, making him fall on his back.

"Vaelia!" Deaother exclaimed in midair, then grumbled as his back ached from the fall.

"You are not getting away from me unless you tell me the name of the person, you think I'll let you run just like that?" Vaelia asked him, holding his knee with an iron hard grip.

Deaother winced slightly, then grabbed her hand and pulled it hard, and Vaelia gasped as he managed to break her grip and haul her arm away from him. Instantly, he dived to the side, and jumped to his feet.

"Coward! You can't run away from me forever!" Vaelia stated, while Deaother hurriedly jumped away from her, to the edge of the base. She got to her feet as well, while Deaother looked down, the great drop it would be if he fell down. He was more than a hundred feet high.

Vaelia seemed to have realized that as well, because she laughed.

 _Well, she has every right to . . . I am stuck up here with no way out, and she is forcing me to tell her who do I love . . . oh, blast it! If I . . . I . . ._

For a moment then, Deaother almost lost himself as he heard her laugh, it was like the sound of birds chirping in the distance, the sound of wind blowing past trees in a dense forest. The sound of her laughter carried him away, making him feel light headed and absent minded. Unable to control himself, he turned back to her, to see her clutching her stomach and laughing even harder.

"Of course! We decided to come up, but we didn't give a thought to how we would get down, at least, you didn't." Vaelia said, bringing Deaother painfully back to the earth. And then, the real reason as to why she was laughing really struck him, and struck him hard.

 _She is right . . . how do I get down?_ Deaother thought, then looked down again. A jump so low would be painful, but it wouldn't break any of his bones.

 _Is it worth the risk?_ Deaother thought for a while, then decided against it.

"So, Deaother, no way out, you will have to answer me now . . . who is she? Kielle?" Vaelia asked him.

Deaother grinned sheepishly, "Not her, and I am not going to tell you either, at least not like this! And, I am getting down from here right now!"

Vaelia seemed to think he was just threatening her, but he really turned around and jumped straight at a pine a couple of feet away. For a couple of heartbeats, he seemed to glide, after which he began fall. But before he fell more than a few inches, he grabbed a thin branch of the pine, and swung himself around with it, then let go and spread out his hands and legs, and seemingly hugged the trunk of the thin pine tree and when he reached it. He held on tightly, then looked back, to see an astonished Vaelia.

"See? I can get out of there . . . and that's what I am going to do!" Deaother shouted at her, then began shimmying down, slowly at first, then he picked up speed. It was quite tiring, continuously holding on to the trunk of the tree, while he making his way down, constantly being careful that he wouldn't slip off. Branches creaked and broke apart as he made his way down, then suddenly, the pine shuddered, and he looked up to see another person above him, shimmying down as well.

Deaother laughed, knowing that it was Vaelia, then shimmied faster, while Vaelia came closer and closer.

"Deaother, you can't run from me, you know . . . and why do you run? I am not going to tell anyone . . ."

Vaelia shouted from above, and Deaother thought it best to not answer. Instead he noisily swung a branch away in response, then thought.

 _Forget this! I'd much rather slide down, all I need to do is loosen my grip a bit . . ._ Deaother thought, then slowly, very slowly, began loosening his arms, which were holding each other on the other side of the pine, and also his legs, which were interlocked on the other side as well.

After a couple of seconds, he abruptly began sliding down at an alarming rate, the sheer speed of his drop astounded him, and he hurriedly tightened his hands around the trunk again, scared that he would fall off completely. He slid to a stop almost instantly, his arms and legs burning slightly. High above him, Vaelia was still coming down at a much slower rate, but he knew she would catch up easily if he didn't hurry.

 _If I am not too high, I think I'll just jump . . . . hold on, what was that?_ Deaother thought suddenly, and looked around. He had heard something, or someone, snap a twig, probably by stepping over it.

He looked down, only to find that there was no one there. Unperturbed, he looked around, staring into the far reaches of the forest. But even then, he didn't see anything or anyone for a while.

 _Odd, I am sure I heard something, but I don't see anyone, I wonder . . . . What in Alagaesia!_

Then, almost as if it had been waiting, he spotted a man, and what he saw shocked him. The man was armored completely, and he was holding a naked sword in his hand, ready to strike any enemy at the slightest provocation, it would seem.

Deaother stared at him for a while, still amazed at the man's appearance. But then, what he saw a couple of seconds later stunned him so much that he almost let go of the tree. Behind the man appeared six other men, all of them wearing similar dark armor, with helms polished black. There was a symbol on their chest plate, and it looked like a dragon flying towards the white moon in a starless black sky. Tall and broad those men were, and they seemed quite strong. But what Deaother noticed, more than anything else, about these men was that they weren't normal. He didn't feel that they were normal, they seemed extremely different from the humans in Alagaesia.

"Deaother?" A voice sounded just above him, making him look up.

Vaelia was up there, a little higher than him, and she was staring down at him curiously.

"Shush, there are some men down there . . . and they do seem quite suspicious." Deaother muttered to her, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Where? I don't see them." Vaelia said, and Deaother pointed towards them, suddenly realizing that they were moving on ahead, towards Ellesmera.

"Those . . . those can't be of the Broddring Kingdom," Vaelia said confidently. "If that would have been the case, they would have come from the direction of Osilon or Ceunon, not from here."

Deaother agreed, "Aye, and their armor, it's not like this, and I am sure they won't change their armor either . . . But then, what are they?"

Vaelia stared at them, watching them walk in a single file, "I think there is only one way to find out . . . if they mean no harm, then we can always ask them . . . and if they are hostile, I suppose they won't stand a chance against us." Vaelia said, while Deaother considered what she had said.

"You might be right, but then again, these men . . . they don't seem to the same as the others . . . Ah, there is no other way to find out then, except one . . . let's talk to them first." Deaother stated, then began shimmying again, but this time slowly.

Vaelia followed him, and Deaother said, "Do you have any weapons?"

"No . . . only magic, but I don't think we will need much more, and I can use other things to help me as well . . . what about you, I don't think you have any." Vaelia replied.

"Well . . . I do have a knife . . ." Deaother said, and he was sure he saw Vaelia snigger. "And magic . . . "

They reached the base of the tree, and Deaother looked around to locate those men. If they had gone ahead, the two of them would need to catch up.

But he heard the soft sound of heavy shoes stepping over the forest floor, a little away from him, and he turned around, squinting.

Vaelia joined his side, her arms seemingly ready to use magic. Deaother reached to the back of his belt, his fingers lightly grasping the leather hilt of his knife.

The men were there, heading straight for Deaother and Vaelia, but they didn't seem to have spotted them just yet.

"Vaelia . . . get back, we can startle, and even intimidate them, if they don't see us from a distance." Deaother told her.

"You are right, I was just going to suggest the same thing." Vaelia said, the two of them silently retreated behind a couple of pines. Deaother peeked around the tree, staring at the men as they came closer and closer.  
Even the way they walked seemed outlandish. None of the humans he knew walked with such unease, and none of them would have such bewildered expressions in the forest.

 _Looks like we are dealing with someone quite different than I expected . . . Let us hope that they mean us no harm . . . I don't want to take anyone's life again . . . but if I have to do it again, to protect Vaelia, I will . . ._ Deaother thought, but a knot of anticipation began to form in his stomach. He wanted to know what was going to happen next, what was he going to do in the next few minutes, he wanted it all to be over. But then again, he feared what consequences his actions would have, on himself, on others . . .

A twig snapped again, and a curse followed, and Deaother peeked around the tree again. The men were in front of him, but they didn't seem to have spotted him.

 _This is it . . . No turning back now . . ._ Deaother thought, a sudden feeling of conviction and commitment fueling up his determination.


	40. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39: Warrior Awakening**

"Hold men!" Deaother said loudly, emerging from behind the pine. He walked ahead smoothly, his feet quite and his pace slow.

The men ahead of him jumped and looked around, surprise written all across their scarred faces.

"Who are you people?" Deaother asked them, and they stared at him for a while, still surprised, but they also seemed to be bewildered.

 _What's wrong? . . . Oh, right! I am still speaking in the Ancient Language . . ._

"I mean, who are all of you?" Deaother said, now speaking in the human language.

"Ah, you speak our language!" One of them stuttered suddenly. Deaother's face snapped to him, and the man cowered slightly. The others didn't seem to be frightened, instead they puffed out their chests and stared straight into his eye.

"Elf, we are men who are travelling down this path." Another one of them said. His armor was thicker and seemed better than that of the others. Deaother guessed that he was the captain of sorts.

"And what business would you have in the land of elves?" Vaelia asked suddenly, popping up from behind another pine.

The frightened man hurriedly looked around, "Another one! And it speaks our language as well!" Then he looked around at all the other trees, making Deaother grin. The man was obviously thought that there were elves all around them.

"Our business is our own." The captain replied, his face blank and his voice controlled. The man had a broadsword belted to his hip, thick gauntlets, tanned skin and dark hair.

"I demand to know this 'business' of yours!" Vaelia said loudly, her voice filled with power and authority.

"And who might you be, demanding answers off us?" Another man asked her, staring at her curiously.

"I am the Princess of Ellesmera!" Vaelia said calmly, and almost all of the men jumped, even the captain. But the surprise on their faces was immediately replaced by glee and triumph.

"The princess! The princess! If we capture her, things will be so much easier for Zar'rac!" One of them  
muttered, softly, but not softly enough to escape Deaother's extremely keen ears. Almost immediately he drew his knife and jumped sideways, ending up in front of Vaelia with the knife clutched tightly in his hand, and his other hand raised.

The men turned to look at him, stunned at his dexterity and speed. One of them, the frightened one, even backed away slightly.

"Deaother, what are you doing?" Vaelia asked him. She had not heard the whisper the man had made.

"I now realize what you truly wish to do! Do you think we are fools? Know this, as long as I stand, you will not capture Vaelia, nor will you take one step closer to Ellesmera, you invaders!" Deaother shouted at them loudly, and raised his knife, held blade pointing towards the ground. With shorter blades, like this one, Eragon had taught Deaother to use the backhand technique of fighting, which was quite different than that of the straight hand.

In this technique, the knife was held tip pointing backwards, and it relied more on speed and elegance than strength. Precision of striking was important as well.

Behind him, Vaelia gave a startled gasp, while the men in front of him went deadly white, and then they drew their swords.

"I see your senses are keener than that of the other elves that we have faced earlier . . . well, you won't be much of a challenge . . ." The captain said, and Deaother grinned. The man didn't know what he was putting his nose into.

Their swords were quite bright, with a grey, completely metallic hilt, and a small, star shaped obsidian jewel embedded in the blade of each sword. The blade of the captain had a ruby instead of obsidian. The swords seemed much heavier than any of the other blades that Deaother had seen, even among the humans of Surda, who were famed for their thicker and longer blades, and also for the falchions.

"Deaother, how did you know they wanted to capture me?" Vaelia asked him, and Deaother stepped back slightly.

"I heard them say it, and they seem to be working for some Zar'rac . . . whoever he is . . ." Deaother told her, then decided to stall those men for a while.

"Who is Zar'rac, your horse?" Deaother asked him, and the men shirked slightly at the way in which he said it.

"I wish he was, but no . . . he is our leader, our master, the person who directs us, and who leads us." One of the men said, and he got a furious scowl from his captain, who mouthed, "Shut your mouth, or you'll lose it soon."

Deaother grinned. I think I have found the height of being dumb and stupid, poor fig.

"Elf, I say it now, come with us peacefully, along with the princess, and we will not harm you . . ." The captain said, and Deaother chuckled.

"Do you honestly think we will agree to that?" Vaelia asked from behind Deaother, and the captain sighed.

"We were told to have no casualties, but it seems that we have no choice now . . ." The captain, and the other man stared at him, confused.

"But sir, there are going to be quite a lot of casualties at Nadin . . . Yes sir!" The man said suddenly, his  
voice jumpy, as the captain shot him a look of extreme rage.

Deaother had heard enough of nonsense, these men were not going to capture Vaelia, and he was ready to do whatever was necessary to protect her.

Mentally, he revised everything that his parents had taught him about fighting along with magic. Because of his genetic traits from Eragon and Arya, something quite strange had happened to him. While he was a right handed person, when Arya had begun teaching him to use magic, it had turned out that he could use magic with his left hand more properly than with his right, something which had surprised her a lot. Even the first time that he had used magic, it had been with his left hand, when he had been about seven. Eragon and he had been sparring, like they did everyday morning, and he had been losing, as he almost always did. But then, when Eragon had disarmed him, Deaother had jumped away, out of his father's reach. But he had struck a barrel full of water by mistake, and at the same time, Eragon had swung his sword at him.

Deaother had learned to speak in the Ancient Language from the beginning, and he could talk in the language absent mindedly. His feet had become wet when he had stepped closer to the barrel and had struck it. What had happened next had been so sudden and striking, Deaother still grinned whenever he remembered it.

When his feet had become wet, Deaother had exclaimed, "Adurna!" in his surprise, then he had raised his left hand in the next heart beat, on instinct to block Eragon's blow, which never even hit him. He had panicked then, knowing that he was losing, but he had also been surprised. Together, both these emotions forced him to use magic, which yielded surprising results. Water from the barrel burst out, and flowed straight at Eragon in the form of waves with astounding force. Eragon had had an expression of downright bafflement for an instant, after which he had yelled, "Brisingr!" Which had led to Deaother's favorite sight of watching his father's sword leap up in flames.

The water crashed onto Eragon noisily, and he had frantically swung his sword around. Deaother had no idea what he had been trying to do, but whatever it had been, it had not worked. The water hit him hard straight on his chest, from above Deaother, who had fallen to his knees as the energy of the magic had left him.  
"Deaother!" Eragon had exclaimed, "Say 'letta'! Hurry!"

Deaother had looked up to see Eragon battling, his sword aflame, with about five other swords seemingly made of water.

"Deaother!" Eragon had shouted, ducking under a sword as it swiped at his throat.

Laughing, Deaother had done as he had been asked. Almost as soon as the word had left his lips, the water had splashed to the ground, drenching the grass in the courtyard in front of their home.

It had been a moment for surprise for all of them, especially his parents. Deaother had seen Arya laughing hard over it for a long time afterwards, and Murtagh had found it quite amusing to see Eragon drenched completely in water, even with his sword flamed up.

Soon, he had got a nice telling off, this time from Eragon, and a long lecture regarding magic.

Deaother grinned even now, as he remembered the incident.

"Elf, you cannot defeat us all, you know this." The captain said, while the men filed around, taking positions several feet away from each other.

"He is not alone, you fools! I am with him!" Vaelia said, her arms raised and ready to use magic at the slightest provocation.

The captain grinned, then charged as fast as he could towards Deaother, his sword raised. The man was quite slow, Deaother thought, but he held his ground.

When he came close enough, the man swung his sword around in a huge arc, a quite reckless thing to do.  
He should know better than that! Deaother thought, ducked under the sword in an instant. Immediately Vaelia muttered something, and the man abruptly yelled in pain. Deaother looked up to see him fly several yards away, and hit a pine. He fell to the floor after that, and the other men stared at Deaother and Vaelia in fright, clearly intimidated.

 _Now, it's time to really start fighting!_ Deaother thought and jumped straight ahead, his blade held tightly. His limbs pumped up and his entire body surged with energy, knowing that now only one emotion existed within him: determination. Determination to defeat these men, and take Vaelia safely back to Ellesmera.

 _The men are positioned quite cleverly,_ Deaother noted, _attacking one of them will leave the others open to attack me in turn. I will have to be quite quick and ready to dodge at a moment's notice.  
_  
Taking a running start, Deaother leapt ahead, soaring above the head of one man. He landed on his feet, then rolled to the side to dodge any incoming blow. Getting to his feet, he turned around to see one of the men swing a sword at him. Deaother parried the blow easily, then raised his right hand and muttered, "Deloi!"  
From below, a huge mound of earth leapt up and stuck the man in the chest, throwing him back. The same mound of earth then fell on top of him, burying half of him him alive. Deaother felt disgust for a moment, but it was short-lived, he couldn't stop.

There was a yell from Vaelia as one of the men charged at her, and she yelled, "Garjzla!"

There was a flash of white light, and the man fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

Deaother swiped at one of the men, but the man tried to dodge him. The blow caught him at the neck, and the knife slit his throat into half, a fountain of blood sprouting following the flesh. The blood sprinkled onto Deaother, dyeing his cloths and skin in red.

 _Oh my . . . I . . . that's not my fault! He moved!_ Deaother thought, as one of the other men ran straight at him. Deaother turned around and ducked under the blow which came for his neck, then he raised his right hand and yelled, "Kveykva!"

Lightning, gold in color, burst forth from his palm and struck the man in his belly, piercing his armor. The man yelled in pain and fell to the ground. Dropping his sword, he clutched his stomach and thrashed the ground with his limbs.

Deaother leapt over him and sprinted at the two men in front of him. Behind him, Vaelia knocked down one of them with a powerful punch.

Deaother sprinted faster than ever before, just wanting to end this battle. One of the men, the frightened one, ran at him first, even though his eyes gave away his fear. The man didn't last a second. Deaother lunged forward with his left hand and grabbed the man's shoulder before he could react, and pulled him. With his right hand, Deaother stabbed him straight through the heart, then jumped back as blood sprouted from the wound.

 _What . . . I . . . I shouldn't have done that . . . He would have surrendered . . . What is happening to me?_ Deaother thought guiltily, regret building up inside him.

The man in front of him yelled in rage and ran forward, but a fist sized rock struck him in the temple with enough force to crack his helm and skull. He roared in pain, and Deaother swung his knife, slicing apart his throat, putting him out of his misery. A fountain of blood leapt up from the sliced flesh, the warm droplets falling onto the Deaother for a few seconds.

It was over, he and Vaelia had slain most of those humans who had been trying to invade Ellesmera, but now they had to find out why they had been trying to invade Ellesmera in the first place. They had killed most of them, but two of them were still alive, Deaother had killed three men, Vaelia had killed one.  
Deaother turned around, disgusted now, nausea was threatening to overcome him, but he somehow controlled himself. He didn't want to seem weak in front of Vaelia.

When he looked around, he managed to count six men lying on the ground, out of which one was thrashing and groaning, the one who had been electrified in a way. But someone was nowhere to be seen, one of the men.  
Vaelia came to stand next to him, a little perturbed to see him covered in blood, and holding a bloody knife.

"Deaother, its fine, its over . . . what's wrong?" Vaelia asked him.

"Vaelia . . . the captain, he is missing! Where is he?" Deaother asked her in turn, looking around. The captain had hit a pine, which was right behind them, so he was supposed to be exactly where Deaother was standing. But no, he wasn't there. Instead, he had disappeared.

Deaother looked around frantically, and spotted the man. He was running away, towards the east. Deaother cursed, then began to sprint after him, intending to finish him off.

But Vaelia grabbed his hand at the very last moment, pulling him back. He turned to look at her, confused and furious.

"Let him go, Deaother, enough blood has been spilled today . . . That man will just run and run, only to fall dead with hunger, or be a prey for a bear or any other creature . . ." Vaelia told him as Deaother tried to pull his hand out of her grip.

"No, he might survive, and then he might pass on information about Ellesmera . . . about you . . . and then, his leader would know what you look like, they would make you a target." Deaother said, still trying to free himself.

"Deaother, listen to me, and stop resisting . . . wouldn't you like to spare a life, especially after all the killing we have done today? . . . would it be such a bad thing to do, sparing the man's life?" Vaelia asked him, and it was evident that she also wanted to act merciful. She seemed repentant of all the killing, just as Deaother was feeling.

 _She's right, it wouldn't harm to spare that man . . . at least, his death wouldn't be my fault as well, along with others . . ._ Deaother thought, and nodded.

Vaelia nodded as well, then left his side, walking off to the man who crying in pain, clutching his stomach, where Deaother had struck him with lightning.

Vaelia knelt next to him and turned him over, while throwing away his weapon.

"Please! Please don't kill me!" The man stuttered, looking at them as if they were both going to tear him to shreds. Blood was pouring out from his wound.

"Don't worry, we won't kill you . . . but you must give us all the information you can . . ." Vaelia said, and he stared at her for a while.

"I . . ." He began to say, then groaned in pain, bending towards his waist. He relaxed after a while, looking at them again. " I will . . . But, please, mke the pain go away, I didn't want to do any of this, I didn't want to attack your land! I was just the son of a poor farmer, I had to do something to support my family . . . Zar'rac promised us, he would suspend all the taxes imposed on our families . . . he said they could keep all the food that they wanted . . . Please, I-"

"Calm down, man, we are not going to slay you . . . for now, I think it better if you go to sleep . . . slytha." Deaother said, pointing his left hand at the man. He went limp immediately after that, falling into an enchanted slumber.

"Should we heal him? I am sure that father and the other would want to interrogate him, and it will better if he is not grumbling every few seconds." Vaelia told him.

"You are right," Deaother said. "We should . . . heal him . . . come, I'll help you take his armor off."

"Deaother, Vaelia? What has happened? And who is that?" Kielle asked them as Deaother and Vaelia came inside the Tialdari Hall, which was luckily, almost empty.

"Come with us, we will explain, but we must meet my father first." Vaelia told her, then began striding ahead hurriedly, while Deaother walked behind her, carrying the body of the man.

A couple of elves spotted them and they shot questioning glances. Deaother knew what they were wondering: Why is the king's daughter and the lead rider's son covered in blood, and why do they have a limp body with them?  
It seemed that their curiosity had got the best of them, as they began following Deaother and Vaelia, along with Kielle, who was quiet.

Vaelia ignored them and continued walking, rubbing her cheek, which was streaked with blood. Deaother had tried clearing off the blood on his own body, but he had given up after a while when it had turned out to be a daunting prospect. Besides, Vaelia's position would be ruined is she was spotted like this, along with Deaother.

Pushing the doors open wide, Vaelia led the way into her and her father's quarters. As they entered, Deaother looked around, a little apprehensive as to what was going to happen now. What he saw first was a wide living room, having just a couple of couches, two tables, and the walls were lined with several shelves, filled with books, and scrolls. One the tables, there were various fruits, and two swords lay on a stand nearby.

Deaother looked around again, looking for Dathedr, while Vaelia walked ahead, heading for one of the two doors right in front of them, which probably led deeper into the house.

"Father? Are you there?" Vaelia called out.

"Yes dear, wait a moment . . ." Dathedr's voice came from inside, and he opened the door after a couple of seconds. For another moment, he stared at them, seeing Vaelia having a weird reddish tint to her skin, seeing Deaother's face and shirt covered in blood, and the three other elves standing at the doorway.

"What . . . What happened?" Dathedr asked, his face pale, his eyes wide and his tone one that of extreme surprise and shock.

Vaelia hurriedly filled him in on the situation, while Deaother remained silent. Dathedr listened, and his face grew graver with every word Vaelia spoke. It would seem that he had almost expected something like this to happen.

" . . .and the captain, he got away . . . anyway, we took this man and came here. Not many people have seen us, those that have are just there . . . . Father?" Vaelia said, and Dathedr looked up, then motioned Deaother to put the man down. Deaother did, placing him gently on the floor, and stood straight.

"Well . . . news like this . . . I haven't heard of something like this for a century . . . and now that I have, I don't like it at all . . . this man will be extremely useful, and I thank the two of you for stopping those men and bringing back one of them . . . there is nothing else that I can say to you regarding all this, but yes, there is one thing . . . it is time to be cautious, and for all of us to be on our guard . . ." Dathedr said after a few moments, as he bent down and began inspecting the man.

"I don't think we should wake him up just yet, I'd rather have his mind checked completely by one of my elves in front of the entire council of elves. Representing all the cities . . . at least those who can spare time, I heard Lady Enaevia is very ill . . . Anyway, right now . . . the best the two of you can do is wash up, change and rest. It will be much better for you . . ." Dathedr told them.

Deaother nodded, " Aye, your highness . . . I'll see you later then." Deaother told him, then walked out. He just wanted to leave, wanted to be alone and wanted to clear his mind of all the atrocities he had committed.  
He hurried out, and he was sure Vaelia was staring at him, her eyes boring into his back.


	41. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40: Galfni's Regret**

Ephian cursed lightly as he nearly tripped over the stone stairs, nearly giving himself away. The stairs were designed for dwarves, not men, and so, they were much lower than usual.

He had to climb up another flight of them, then follow the corridor until he reached the huge banquet hall, where he had feasted once. After that, he would turn left and head towards the direction of the rising moon, then he would reach the huge gates that guarded the Grimstborith's quarters.

So far, things had been quite easy for him. He had not had to fight any of the guards, he had outwitted them easily and he had made his way inside. But now was the real test, the corridors. There would be several guards patrolling them, several guards at several doors, and many more at the gates. He would probably have to kill all the guards at the gates, and as quickly as he could, otherwise Larouf might even try to escape.

 _That's the best he can do, I suppose . . . He probably thinks I am dead right now, or too weak to try something like this._ Ephian thought,

He went up the stairs, still in awe of his narrow escape from the guards below. It had been quite a feat, but he knew he had to focus on what he had to do next. Now, he only had to find out where Orúm was, or, if it was possible, where Elva was.

As he moved up the dark steps, his thoughts again returned to Elva, the sound of her voice, the touch of her fingers on his own, the beauty of her eyes and the rustle of her hair, all returned to him, and again, he felt sorrow and regret that he had somehow stemmed up after trying so much.

 _Elva . . . I know, you probably can't hear me . . . But I truly, really, am sorry. I know that it was all my fault, and that I am to blame for it . . . but, all is not lost, I am going to find you, free you and take you with me to somewhere where we can be away from war, blood and death . . . somewhere peaceful . . . somewhere happy . . ._ Ephian thought.

He had thought much the same the previous night, and had spent hours brooding over it just to distract himself from Elva's absence. He couldn't forgive himself for what he had done, for what had happened to Elva.  
He came to the end of the stairs, and walked ahead, slowly at first. The corridor was dark, and he didn't exactly know which way to go, it was difficult to identify the places now, because the previous time when he had visited, the place had been lit with several candles. Elva had also been with him then. He walked forward slowly, then looked up. He seemed to be in front of a doorway, that led towards the corridors. He looked at it carefully, then walked ahead past the doorway, walking briskly outside towards the right. But just a few seconds after entered, a couple of dwarves came running into the corridor with axes in one hand and torches in another.

They stopped at the doorway, and peered around, speaking in fluent dwarvish, and speaking in extremely hushed voices. They searched everywhere around the doorway, while Ephian crept away from them. Looking back, he saw them searching everywhere near that door, and now he was a little disturbed at the fact that they had come to inspect the place exactly when he had entered the door. It couldn't be a coincidence, it was far too precisely timed.

Still unnerved, Ephian pushed the thought away and began walking ahead, ready to draw his weapons at a moment's notice. He obviously couldn't use his palm to use magic now, so he would have to direct every spell he sued through either of his swords.

He had practiced a lot the previous day, with and without magic, and he was quite adept at it now, using two swords instead of just one.

Ephian moved around the corner, but at that instant, the dwarves at the doorway yelled in panic and sprinted exactly towards where Ephian was standing, holding their axes at the ready.

Ephian turned around to look at them, an eyebrow raised. Then, he decided it was time to fight fire with fire. In a split second he drew his swords, and removed the spell of invisibility. Fueled by inhuman speed, and extremely quick reflexes, Ephian was sure he would win against these two dwarves.

The dwarves gasped in surprise when they saw him appear, and then began pointing at him and looking at each other, bewildered.

"Looks like you are ready to die, that's what your face tells me . . . well, I won't delay it any further." Ephian told them, and they stared at him for a while, until he began to run towards them, both his hands ready.

The dwarves readied themselves as well after a moment, tossing away the torches and holding their axes tightly. Ephian lunged forward as soon as he got close enough, swinging Edoc'sil, in his right hand, around like a berserk. The dwarf dodged it, an easy task for him because of his less height. As the other dwarf moved away, the other one dived at Ephian, swinging his axe downwards with all his might, holding it with both his hands.

Ephian stretched to the side, dodging the axe, and swung Edoc'sil around, slicing apart the dwarf's neck. In the next instant, he pierced the dwarf through his heart with Nuanen. Rage was in him, and he wanted to let it all out, he wanted to fight and teach them to fear his name.

Pulling his sword out, he revolved around on the spot, his swords moving in a blur, and gashed the other dwarf's side and chest, making him yell in pain and drop his axe. Ephian ended his misery by cutting his head off, leaving behind a bloody stump.

"You should have moved a split second faster." Ephian muttered, then sheathed his swords and muttered the spell to make himself invisible again. As his hands vanished in front of him, he readied himself and jogged ahead, running past the corner and down the corridor.

"Sir, we have reports . . . someone has entered the castle and has attacked a couple of dwarves inside . . . and ones at the gate are complaining of flying rocks and cloudless rain . . . " A dwarf said in rapid dwarvish.

The person he was talking to didn't respond for a while, pumped up as he was. He now knew that the dragon rider was coming for him, and he had to gather all his forces and ready his men. Danger was imminent, and he had to be prepared. As a chief, he had to issue orders and commands, and expect them to be undertaken.

"Sir?" The dwarf asked, and the chief looked at him, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Tell the soldiers to be more vigilant . . . this is the person I spoke off, the rider who Orúm wants dead. Him and his dragons . . . what?" The chief shouted angrily as the messenger shrank.

" . . . Dragons . . . sir, we cannot battle dragons, they are-"

"Too big? Don't you dare say that! Now do as you are told, and do not ask for what you cannot understand! . . . Go, I say!" The chief shouted at the man, furious.

 _I have dwarves like these under me, I am not surprised that my clan is the worst . . ._ The chief thought, swearing loudly, then hurriedly clapped his hands twice.

"He is coming . . . be ready." He muttered.

He was in the Grand banquet room, which was huge, circular room and one of the highest places of the castle. There were many curtains around the rooms, behind which were open windows protected by iron grills. The grills didn't allow any unwanted guests to use the windows to access the castle.

"We are always ready, rest assured, because he isn't going to last a few seconds against all of us Larouf . . ." A thick voice answered.

 _* * *_

The corridors were dark and alluring, making Ephian's insides churn uncomfortably. This didn't always happen to him, but right now, he was extremely apprehensive. He wanted to get to the Grimstborith as fast as he could, and he wanted to learn what he wanted to know. There was very less time with him.

He was walking down another corridor, towards the grand banquet hall. He remembered that the corridor he was in was quite wide. Wide enough for five people to walk down, quite comfortably.

Straight ahead were the doors to the banquet hall, and past them, he would just have to follow the gates and stairs to Larouf's quarters. Once in there, nothing could stop him from getting what he wanted.

As Ephian walked, he slowly remembered the time just a week earlier. How different things had been then!

He could still remember how Elva had defeated him at sparring, how they had entered the caves, argued over some gaping hole in the ground. As he recalled his recklessness in going and attacking those two men, and Orúm's appearance, and the ensuing battle. How the dragons had appeared, and how they had fought.

His blood surged and rage bubbled within him as he remembered Orúm's face and the sight of Elva being thrown into that pool. He could hear her scream, her plea to him for aid, which he had been unable to provide.

 _I still find it hard to believe she is gone . . . . gone so far away from me . . ._ Ephian thought, and a wave of hopelessness threatened to engulf him. But now, he was in Galfni, and he was going to find out the truth about it all. There was nothing for it now, he had to do what he had pledged he would. Now, he had to save Elva, and he knew that he wouldn't be at peace until he did rescue her.

With that thought fueling up his every step, Ephian began walking ahead with more vigor.

 _Come what may, I am going to succeed, failure is not an option._

With that thought in place he moved on, till he reached the doors, his mind set and held tightly by his iron will and determination.

With both his hands, he pushed the doors open, and immediately jumped to the side. He knew that there were guards inside, and they would wonder why the doors had opened up so suddenly on their own.

A yell came almost as soon as the doors opened, and two dwarves jumped out, jabbing their spears straight at the point where Ephian had been less than a second ago.

 _That was close . . . I think, I'll have a much better advantage if I am faster . . . fast as an elf . . ._ Ephian thought, and hurriedly began reciting the spell under his breath, careful to use the energy from the obsidian inn the pommel of his sword.

The dwarves looked at each other, baffled, then they turned around and began to go back inside, muttering in dwarvish. Ephian lunged forward at that instant, swinging both his swords and beheading both the dwarves in the single moment. With that, he removed the invisibility spell, and ran headlong into the banquet hall. But he stopped just as abruptly as he had burst in, surprised.

In front of him stood just the dwarf that looking for. In front of him stood Larouf, the Grimstborith of Az Sweldn Rak Anhûin, and he seemed to be quite calm, contrary to what Ephian had thought. But the dwarf was wearing a glinting, gold plated armor and held a long axe in his hands. On his head was a purple helm, and his face was veiled by a purple cloak. All in all, he would have seemed quite intimidating.

Ephian stared at him for a while, holding his swords tightly, his armor bloody from the blood of the dwarves.

"Ah, Ephian, Rider of Jiarha . . . Senior Ranger . . . you have come, just as I expected." Larouf said, his voice calm and polished. Ephian glared at him.

"So you do speak our language, I suspected just as much, you just didn't want to show your true colors when we met earlier . . . and this is the last time we are going to meet, Larouf . . ." Ephian told him, raising his weapons in preparation.

Larouf stared at him, and slowly a grin stretched across his face, after which he began to laugh, an extremely annoying laugh which prickled the back of Ephian's neck.

"Have you lost your mind now? Don't worry, it isn't going to remain with you any longer than you want it to." Ephian told him, but Larouf laughed even harder, bending over and laughing at his own knees.

"You do not understand, foolish rider, you think things would be so easy?" Larouf asked him, looking up at him.

At that instant, the doors behind Ephian slammed shut, making him jump. And then, from behind all the curtains around him, men came out and stood there, each of them holding either a sword, or spear or even a mace. Ephian's insides went numb. There were nine of them there, along with Larouf, which meant ten. Ten of them against him, he was heavily outnumbered.

"You think we didn't expect you to come? Especially after all that Orúm told me about your rash behavior . . . and now, you lost Orúm's trail, and are going to die . . . Ephian, Alagaesia is going to fall to them . . . you cannot win . . . they are too strong!" Larouf told him.

"Keep your blasted prophesies to yourself, bearded oaf!" Ephian shouted at him.

At the same time, he reached back to Jiarha, who seemed to be alert and quite worried. It took him a few seconds to remake their connection, and when he did manage it, she jumped high.

 _Ephian!_

 _Jiarha . . . Hurry up! I need yours and Eridor's help right now! Come to the banquet hall at the top of the castle, one that has red curtains._ Ephian told her hurriedly, while the men around him laughed and fingered their weapons.

 _Are you alright?_

 _I don't have time to explain! Now, if you don't hurry, the dwarves will soon have a Rider's freshly cut meal cooking for supper, so come here fast! I am up against ten men over here!_ Ephian shouted mentally, and he could feel her mind vibrating.

 _Yes Ephian, I am coming there as fast as I can . . ._ Jiarha told him.

"What's wrong rider? Too scared too speak?" One of the men asked him, and Ephian turned to look at the man, fury and anger still in him.

"Scared? We'll see who is scared by the time I am done with you all!" And he sprang at the man, slashing at him. His sword moved in a quick blur, and loped off the head of the person, making his grand total reach up to three in one night.

The other men gasped, shocked by his speed, and then they all ran at him, each holding their own weapons.

 _Oh no . . . Oh no! JIAHRA! HURRY UP!_ Ephian screamed out with his mind, and slashed in every direction with both his swords. They clanged several times as he spun around on the spot, and sparks flew from his blades as they struck other weapons. But then, one of the men around him jumped forward, spear raised.

 _Blast you!_ Ephian thought and struck his spear away with Nuanen, following it with a quick slash from Edoc'sil, tearing apart his chest plate and making blood pour out. Spinning around, he dived straight, trying to get out of the circle that the men had made around him. He fell to the ground and rose to his knees, then smashed his elbows in the abdomen of two men, and heaved them away. Still low on the ground, he tried to move but stumbled forwards as someone tried to trip him.

In the next second, he looked around to see the men running at him again, all eight of them while Larouf just watched and smirked. He obviously thought that Ephian was going to lose. But that was not so, Ephian stared at them for a while, swords ready, then ran forward. The men ahead of him raised their weapons as well.

"Death! Death to you all!" Ephian yelled at them, and thrust Edoc'sil forward, fast as an elf. The sword pierced the armor of one man, protruding from his back. Turning around, Ephian blocked two swords with Nuanen, and pulled Edoc'sil out. Ducking, he swiped at the knees of two other men, then turned around and kicked the leg of the man just behind him, making him fall backwards.

 _Two down, seven to go . . ._ Ephian thought.

Ephian then jumped up and spun around, just in time to block a swing from a man. With Nuanen, he split apart the man's sternum, and kicked him away. Then he parried a spear jab, his speed as fast as lightning, pierced the man's heart with Edoc'sil.

 _Four down, five to go . . ._

Just then, there was an extremely loud roar from the window to the right, and black clouds of flame burst forth, through the grills, reducing the curtains to cinders. From the left, a similarly loud roar echoed, and bright blue flames burst into the room. Ephian was caught in between both the fires, and he looked around in surprise and relief as the men around him panicked and jumped away from the fires.

Jiarha roared in frustration as she was unable to get into the room, then she grabbed the grill around the window with her forelegs, the talons scrapping the metal. She heaved with all her might, pulling the metal strips cleanly off. On the other side, Eridor was doing the same thing, while the men inside foolishly threw their weapons at the dragons, just to see them bounce off the scales on their foreheads or necks.

But between all of this commotion stood Ephian, and he knew he could use all this confusion to his advantage. Now was the perfect chance for him to get to Larouf, and that was just what he was going to do.

He looked around the room, searching for the stout dwarf. But, to his astonishment, Larouf wasn't in the room, and he saw the door leading to his quarters close lightly, and Ephian knew who had just used that door.

All the men around him were running around, trying to escape the fire and everything else that was burning, or were themselves burning. The appearance of the dragons had surprised all of them so much, they seemed to have forgotten about Ephian completely. Ephian then ran ahead, heading for the door that led to Larouf's quarters.

 _That coward! I am going to get him, right now!_ Ephian thought, and Jiarha replied.

 _Get him, Ephian . . . I and Eridor will handle these people . . ._ Jiarha said, and tore off the grills, throwing them down. The men behind went pale in fear. On the other side, Eridor tore apart the wall in rage, and dived inside the room. The last thing that Ephian saw just before going past the door was two men being hurled away by a powerful swipe from Eridor, and a man getting crushed under Jiarha's tail.

Then, the door closed off its own accord, and Ephian was inside, staring ahead at the stairs that went downwards. Not stopping to think, he ran ahead, urgency and desperation now taking the place of the determination and courage in him. He was desperate to get the information out of Larouf and in a hurry to get to the dwarf. Things were certainly not going to be simple anymore.

Dashing down the stairs, Ephian jumped the last flight of stairs and landed on his knees. Getting to his feet, he ran ahead again, his enhanced speed quite an advantage. Running ahead, into the dark, wide corridor, he hoped he was going right. There were no more stairs, and this was the only way to go to.

He kept on running, even though his breath began to come in gasps and his chest grew tighter. Then, quite abruptly, he hit a hard surface in front of him, so hard that it broke off its hinges and fell inwards to the ground. Ephian yelled in pain, and the mail dug into his flesh, making his right shoulder bleed. But that was not going to stop him.

"Larouf!" Ephian shouted, looking around.

He was in a well lit room, quite wide and having pillars along the walls. Loads of brackets for candles and a couple of chandeliers hung from the walls and ceiling. And almost all the candles were lit, flames flickering on all of them.

Ephian looked around again, and saw Larouf standing at a corner right ahead of him. There was a bed at the other end of the room, having purple blankets and pillows, and the walls were adorned with paintings of dwarves battling dragons and humans.

Larouf was holding his axe tightly, in both his hands, the magnificent weapon looking quite deadly in the dwarf's hand. But Ephian was unperturbed, he just had to disarm this dwarf and invade his mind, but he was going to make Larouf suffer a lot before he took what he wanted.

"Rider, you will not succeed, even if you kill me, the Shade will conquer the lands, he has enough men on his side to defeat King Orik. Would you like to battle him now? He will defeat you all so easily . . . and even the dragons cannot save us. Give up Rider, this will get you nowhere!" Larouf told him, and Ephian drew his swords, frustrated, his shoulder burning.

"I'd rather die fighting than live at the mercy of a monster . . . I've no love for life when it shall force me to be a slave and I shall have no one . . . you may live like that, but I won't. Larouf, you have given up your own life for something that is not certain . . . Orúm will die! And he will die by my hands!" Ephian bellowed.

Larouf shook his head, "You will regret saying those words, human . . . And for now, this is all I have to give you . . . you think I take pride in fighting someone who couldn't even protect his own ally? Someone who watched the other drown and was unable to do anything about it?" Larouf asked, and Ephian bawled in rage and ran at him.

Larouf swung his axe at Ephian's head, who ducked under it and swiped at him with Nuanen. The sword was blocked by the steel bracers Larouf was wearing. The dwarf laughed and banged the lower tip of his axe into Ephian's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Next, he swung the axe around and tried to hit Ephian's head. Ephian leaned back just in time to dodge the axe, though he did get a scar across his cheek.

Ephian yelled again and struck the axe with Edoc'sil, pushing it down. Then with Nuanen, he swung at Larouf's head. The sword banged his helm and made him stagger back. Ephian followed the blow with a quick jab at the man's abdomen. But Larouf saw it coming and parried the blow with his huge axe. Then, he swung the bladeless side of the axe and hit Ephian squarely on his head.

Ephian yelled as he felt the tip hit his skull hard enough to make him fly to the side. He fell to the ground with a loud clatter of armor and swords, and lights leapt up before him. His head was wet with blood, and his body suddenly felt languid as if he had not eaten for a long time.

"So . . . Rider, you wanted to kill a Shade, but you couldn't even defeat a dwarf . . . how embarrassing, do you not think? . . . Allow me to end this shame for you, then." Larouf muttered and raised the axe above his head, ready to swing it down and split Ephian's head into two. But Ephian didn't stop, he reached around with his left hand and grabbed Nuanen, and lunged ahead with it.

Larouf screamed in pain next, and his axe fell to the ground, denting the floor. Ephian had pierced his side, causing him enough pain to drop his weapon, but the blow wasn't enough to kill the dwarf. First, he wanted to get something out of the dwarf's mind.

Ephian reached out to Larouf's conscious, and entered it with ease. The dwarf had obviously let down his guard because of the pain he was experienced with the sword lodged inside his body.

Hurrying now, Ephian quickly slid through his memories, looking for what he wanted. After a couple of minutes of searching, he found it.

 _"You are back? What has happened?" Larouf asked, looking at a man with long black hair and sickening white skin, holding a bright sword in his hands._

 _"The riders and dragons did come, just as I had thought . . . but they caught us unawares . . . and the dragons overwhelmed us . . . I don't have much time, I have to go and get to my other men, but we managed to complete the ritual and connect the well . . . And capture one of the riders, the woman . . . but I am sure the man will come here and try to find out where she is, which is why I am keeping some men with you . . . Now I must go, and no one must know that I came here and left as well . . . Is it understood?" The man asked. Without waiting for an answer, he turned around and left the room, whichever it was, Ephian didn't bother observing._

Ephian came out of his mind, and realized that the dwarf was lying on the ground, clutching the sword and groaning. All of his powerful disposition and intimidating nature seemed to have dissolved away.

"So . . . you saw about Orúm, did you? . . . yes, he has gone to rally his army . . . but I do not know where it is, he only told me what I needed to know . . . Well, end it now, killing me is for the best, I have betrayed Alagaesia, have I not?" Larouf said, and Ephian picked up Edoc'sil from the ground.

"You have betrayed us, and I suppose this is how it is going to end . . . " Ephian said, and stabbed him straight through the heart, ending his misery. Then, without so much as a backward glance, he grabbed Nuanen and walked out.

 _Jiarha . . . I hope you have spared one of those men, haven't you?_ Ephian muttered as he began to ascend the stairs.

 _Of course Ephian, I and Eridor had a good reason to suspect that Larouf wouldn't have everything we needed._ Jiarha replied, and Ephian smiled.

 _That's good enough for me . . ._ Ephian replied, pleased.


	42. Chapter 41

_Chapter 41: The Pilgrim revealed_

There was the sound of people rushing around in hurry, all of them going about their own business. Children ran around, playing some game and laughing merrily, while their mothers did their household work or bought bread and food in t he shops. Men walked around, very few of tem in armor, and most of them wearing expensive clothing and holding their heads high in pride.

A dragon flew high above them, green in color, with a woman on his back, her golden hair streaming behind her.

All about were the signs of happiness, peace and prosperity. But there was only one flaw in the entire street. Amidst all this happiness, richness and enjoyment, lay one bedraggled and shabby old man. White locks trailed down his bony, wrinkled face. His skin was pale white, and he was extremely thin. More than a hundred years of painful existence had taken away most of his strength and almost all of his reason to live. He now lived only for one thing, in hopes that he would meet the Lead Rider and convey what he was meant to convey.

To him, the world was dark, completely black, there were no colors, no joys, nothing. There had been a time when he could see everything he wanted to, but that had been long ago. Now, he was a blind cripple, seemingly a destitute like others who had no means of livelihood except that of getting some money from the pity and sympathy shown by others. But that wasn't true, not in his case, he had someone.

To him every day was almost the same, and everyday he felt life seep out of him. He knew he had very less time, and that if he didn't meet the Lead Rider, Alagaesia would fall off the brink, and be destroyed, lost forever.

His thin hands flopped around the ground where he had fallen, unable to see the steps ahead of him, and someone hurriedly came running towards him. People around could hardly guess his age, but they knew he was quite old by the sight of his bulging veins and white, long hair. It would seem to some people that in the world, he had only one person to help him, take care of him and at times, force him to live and try to be merry.

The very same person was coming towards him now, her feet moving fast.

"There you are, I told you not to go out of the house!" The woman cried as she caught up with the old man, who had now got to his feet with the help of the wall.

"Ah, child, I lost my way . . . I thought of going to the kitchen and meeting you . . . . I think I took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up outside . . . oh well, you have found me now . . . . no harm done." The old man spoke, his voice a weak treble.

". . . . I suppose you are right, there is no harm done." The woman said. She was quite young, about the age of marriage, and extremely beautiful. Her voice was melodious, better than that of most bards, and she sang and danced at all festivities.

"So, let us go back inside . . . I could use some food and water, I think I spent enough time dwindling outside . . . don't you?" The man asked, and the woman smiled and took his arm.

"Aye, you did . . . I'll arrange the food."

The woman with him was a shop keeper, and an entertainer. Her name was Leliana. She had found this man about six months ago when she had arrived in Tierm. Orphaned from childhood, she had been raised by a group of woman in Belatona, from where she had journeyed here in the hopes of making a better life. That had been true to some extent, she did live happily here. But then, she had no company nor did she have any family. When she had set up her shop and got her home, a couple of months had been spent in loneliness, with her meeting only her customers every day.

But then, she had come across this old man, sprawled on the ground, and she had brought him home. Once he had woken up, she had realized that he was blind and that he was extremely weak. Since then, he had been with her, and she had taken as much care of him as she could.

The two of them reached their home, a small one containing just two bedrooms, a sitting room and a kitchen. Her shop was just in front of her house. But she had decided to take the day off, because she wanted to talk to Heslant and spend some time with him as well.

Inside was simple, a couple of chairs and a table with a large sofa near the wall in the living room. To the right was the kitchen, and a couple of doors to the left led to the bedrooms.

"Well, I am staying at home today, taking a break from the everyday routine, so that we can discuss some things . . . you have hidden quite many things from me . . . May I be so bold to ask you what those are?" Leliana asked abruptly, while the old man moved ahead with his hand outstretched, trying to find the table and chair.

"Leliana . . . You have asked me this many, many times, and I can understand the reason for your curiosity but please, don't force me right now . . . I don't want to trouble you with things that . . . well, that don't matter much . . ." He paused as he managed to reach the table, then grabbed the chair and pulled it back. Leliana waited patiently until he sat down, "Listen, I know you might find my behavior about my past rather queer, but the fact remains that my life wasn't a good one . . . at least, not until you came into it."

Leliana smiled, and so did he even though he couldn't see her.

"You . . . you really know how to butter people, don't you?" Leliana asked, but the blind man just laughed. "Oh very well, keep your secrets to yourself while I just go around doing things like a common maid." Leliana said, a little spitefully, but even the softness of her tone didn't seem mask her feelings.

"Is that so? . . . oh fine, then, you really want to know what I am like?" He asked, and Leliana's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean . . . look behind you." He said, then as she turned around, he raised his left hand. Even though his hand was extremely thin and pale, a sign could be seen on it, though it was usually masked by the paleness of his skin. It was the sign of a dragon rider, a Gedwëy Ignasia.

The old man was called Heslant. He had been a Rider earlier, then had been deprived of his dragon and left to despair for fifty years, after which he had recovered, had written a book called Domia Abr Wyrda, and fought Galbatorix. In the ensuing battles, he had finally been crippled and blinded by Durza, and he had escaped and lived in Tierm ever since then.

"Reisa . . ." Heslant muttered.

The bowl behind Leliana suddenly rose in the air and hovered there for a moment, and Leliana jumped back in fright with a scream.

"What in Alagaesia?!" She stuttered, and then looked around to see Heslant chuckling.  
"Magic! You are a magician?" Leliana demanded, shocked by the revelation. For the past months, she had considered Heslant to be an ordinary old man, despite the fact that he was blind, and someone in need of shelter. She had helped him out of the goodness in her heart, feeling that she was, in a way, paying back the debt she owed to those people who had raised her.

But now, it seemed that it wasn't exactly true.

 _No good deed goes unpunished . . ._ Leliana thought to herself, then stared at Heslant.

"Letta." Heslant whispered again, and the bowl dropped back.

"Why didn't you tell me this before? It would have saved a lot of confusion!" Leliana stated incredulously, while Heslant just smiled.

"I didn't because I didn't want you to think that I am an outlaw . . . you see, I was in desperate need of help, of someone who could help me . . . of someone who would care for me . . . someone who was like family." Heslant said, and stood up, He walked forward hesitantly, his hands outstretched, and slowly coming towards Leliana. "And then, you came, and changed my life forever . . . I felt guilty, so very guilty, about hiding things from you, child, but it was for the best . . . and I am going to tell you everything . . . but first, there's just one thing that must happen." Heslant told her, now coming up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder, to support himself.

"What is that?" Leliana asked, her voice faint and her eyes wide. But then again, she was somehow able to accept what she now knew about the old man. He had always seemed quite queer, and now, this was as good an explanation as any. At least she wasn't being kept in the dark anymore.

"Well . . . I must meet the Lead Rider, and as soon as possible . . . there some things I need to tell him, and some things I need to know as well . . . Ever since Galbatorix has died, I knew that the only person who could help me was this Rider, this Eragon Kingslayer." Heslant said, while Leliana stared at him, a slow smile stretching across her charming face.

"Looks like you are fortunate, because he is arriving today . . ."

Saphira swooped down, Thorn, Valinor and Draumr by her side. Tierm was directly below them.

 _Finally, finally we know where Heslant really is!_ Finally we can find him. Eragon said gratefully, extremely enthusiastic at the moment.

 _You are right, we can . . . let us hope what he has to offer is good._ Saphira said.

They came closer and closer to the city, and a dragon flew towards them, its scales dark green, slightly darker than that of Valinor.

It was Fealia, the dragoness of Tierm, and her Rider, Marian. They were new riders, who had ascended to their post just an year ago.

The dragoness reached them and gave a loud roar. She was much smaller than Saphira, but extremely skilled and strong, as was her elvish Rider. This was one of the reasons that they had been stationed in such an important city, because they had the common sense and logic that most of the human Riders, especially men, lacked.

The five dragons flew down and were soon in the dragon hold of the city. Eragon dismounted, as did all the others, and Marian came forward, beginning the elven greeting, to which Eragon responded pleasantly.

"Its been so long since you came here, Ebrithil . . ." Marian said, and Eragon smiled at her.

"That is true, it has been too long . . . and now, I am in a hurry again. I shall explain why, but first, there are some things we need to discuss . . ." Eragon told her.

After a while, they were all seated inside a room, on a table, each holding a cup of tea in their hands, while the dragons joined in the conversation from outside.  
Eragon sipped the tea, while Marian watched him earnestly.

"I am looking for someone, Marian, someone named Heslant. He has some information that I think would be truly vital . . . but moving on from that, I am planning to have a meeting of all the dragon Riders, the one which we have every ten years, only this time its going to be sooner . . ." Eragon told her, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"But Ebrithil, wouldn't this meeting be held in Doru Araeba?" Marian asked.

"Not this one . . . this one is going to be held in Tierm, in the grand hall . . ." Eragon said, and stood up.

 _I am planning to go outside and roam the streets, and head for Nesmrial's (Angela) old shop. Something gives me a feeling that he might be there . . ._ Eragon said.  
Oh very well, go ahead, I will stay here with Thorn. Saphira told him.

Saphira and Valinor were both quite eager to spend as much time as possible with their mates, since they knew that they were going to be separated soon, and for a long time.

It wasn't much of a surprise to Eragon that Saphira had decided not to accompany him.

"I am going out for a while, to take some fresh air . . ." Eragon announced, and the others nodded. Arya stood up as well, her cloak billowing around her.

"I am coming as well, I need to buy a few things anyway." Arya said, and soon, they were both walking down the stairs side by side.

The castle at Tierm was, in one word, lavish. The entire building was made of white stones, and the walls had paintings of the sun rising in the east, and setting in the west, sinking into the red ocean. Far past the shores, a white dragon flying northward, the port of the city going up in flames, and the soldiers wearing armor, bearing Galbatorix's emblem battling elves in golden armor.

"I am glad you are coming, it would be easier to do things now." Eragon said, and Arya smiled next to him.

"I knew you were going to find Heslant," Arya replied. "And that help would not be unwelcome."

Eragon grinned, and walked faster.

They passed the courtyards and hurried outside. The present castle had been built on the ruins of the previous, which had existed during Galbatorix's reign, and was now governed by Lady Tialna. Eragon had not met her yet, but a feast was going to be held soon and that was where they were going to meet.

"Arya, there's this thing that has been bugging me for quite a while now . . . what if Crugan has already defeated Eragon the first, and is planning to attack Alagaesia now? Wouldn't-"

"If that would have been the case, then Anurin and Garjzla would have been killed long before they could have reached Alagaesia, and then we would all have been unaware of anything coming to attack us. Now, at least the elves are on their guard." Arya assured him.

Eragon delved on what she said, and soon concluded that she was right. There was no need for him to worry about that, not right now anyway.

A hand came to his cheek all of a sudden, and he turned around to look at Arya, who was smiling tenderly.

"Don't bother yourself with these things, Eragon. It will just trouble you." Arya told him, and he saw the concern for him in her green eyes. "It will be so much better if you think more about how we are actually going to cross the ocean."

Eragon couldn't help but laugh, "We are going to cross the ocean in the same way that we set out a hundred years ago, in ships with Saphira and Valinor flying or swimming by our side . . . but of course, we will need some place where even they can rest."

They passed the gates of the castle, which were wide open, and the guards outside were standing proud in their glistening silver armor.

They both walked out, towards the richer section of the city, exactly where Jeod had earlier lived. He was no more, but his granddaughter had married a merchant and was now living with him in Dras'leona, along with their own grand children.

"There is another thing I am worried about . . ." Arya muttered, and Eragon looked around at her, surprised.

"What is that?"

Arya looked at him as if he had decided to jump off a cliff, "Eragon! You are such a dumb fool!"

Eragon jumped at her sudden ferocity. As far as he was concerned, he didn't know anything that would be bothering him, things were going quite smoothly in his perspective.

"What are you talking about?" Eragon asked, and Arya's eyes widened comically.

"Deaother! He doesn't know that we are going, leaving Alagaesia! And it is your job to tell him that!" Arya said, and Eragon winced. People around stared at them.

"Oh yes, my son! I-"

"Don't tell me you forgot about him, Eragon, what kind of-"

"I didn't forget about him, I had already planned on asking Everaun and Phiole to bring him here when they came for the meeting. That's all that I need to do, I can't make him teleport himself all the way from Ellesmera!" Eragon replied, annoyed, and Arya's expression softened slightly.

"Oh . . . that's . . . quite responsible of you then . . ." Arya said, her skin reddening all of a sudden, while Eragon got a smile on his face.

"You still underestimate me, don't you . . . but then again, that's what you women are for . . . I am just joking!" Eragon said suddenly as Arya threw him a sharp look.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Heslant demanded, almost hurriedly turning around towards the door, as if he would run all the way to the dragon hold.  
"You didn't ask . . ." Leliana replied.

"Oh fine, but I mean it, I must meet him! Where can he be right now?" Heslant asked her, but she frowned.

"Not so fast, old man, I want some answers right now, and I am not going to take you anywhere unless I get those." Leliana said, grinning at the advantage she had at the moment.

Heslant grabbed the edge of the table, and held it tightly, "Ask away, and quickly!"

"Why do you want to meet Kingslayer?" Leliana asked him, rubbing her shoulder.

"I have to tell him something very important, so important, the survival of Alagaesia might depend on it." Heslant replied, and Leliana winced at his unexpected reply.

 _What have I gotten myself into? First him being a magician, now he knows something so important, it has all our lives at stake . . ._ Leliana thought, and Heslant scowled heavily, though it wasn't so noticeable.

"Is there anything else?" Heslant asked her, and she shook her head, then realized that he couldn't see her.

"No, nothing . . . come, lets meet him . . ." Leliana said, but Heslant held up a hand.

"I have a better way . . . let us have him come to us . . ."


	43. Chapter 42

_Chapter 42: Uncle and nephew_

 _This certainly is Angela's shop . . . at least, it used to be . . . and that's Jeod's old home . . . Heslant has to be somewhere around here._ Eragon thought, looking around the street.

"Maybe he's taking a stroll somewhere . . ." Arya muttered.

"I certainly hope not, and if that's the case, I hope he's back soon . . ." Eragon replied, a little humorous.

They began to turn and search the area; people around them left them alone for the most part. Both of them were avoiding the crowd, it wouldn't be advisable to look for someone with a pack of well wishers, followers and people hoping to become dragon riders themselves, following them around.

But then, suddenly, a young woman called out, "Rider! I must speak with you."

Eragon jumped and looked around, and was a little annoyed to see almost every eye on the street upon him, most of them wide. The woman who had yelled was ahead of him.

She was quite beautiful, having long, brown hair, small eyes and nose, and rosy lips. She wore a simple brown dress, unadorned for the most part, but it somehow seemed to fit her image as if she was a woman of the people and she wanted to remain just as she was.

"Greetings, Riders," She said, walking towards him and Arya. She stared at the both of them for a while then continued. "I know of someone who dearly wishes to meet you . . . are you familiar with the name Heslant?"

A man crouched in the shadows of a dark alley, a pale knife in his hands. He was alone in the place, and he was waiting.

 _This city is not at all like the one I used to live in . . . it is much neater and more welcoming . . . at least for now._

The man was, of course, not a native citizen. He had come there that very morning, using a route which he was sure no one else could have imagined.

 _So much for a locating a weak spot . . . Freohr never gives easy missions . . . oh well, I'd rather not have him live up to his name . . .  
_

The man had been sent to the city by Freohr, who waited out in the sea and Sharktooth. Their immediate target was Tierm and the assault was going to begin as soon as they got a signal from the master.

Rubbing his shoulder, then man walked out of the alley and began walking briskly towards the north of the city. He stopped suddenly and looked at his own reflection in a puddle on the ground.

A handsome face stared back at him, of a man who was about thirty years of age, had auburn hair and wore a black tunic with two daggers on his belt, under a billowing grey cloak. The man was name Nioles, a pretty weird name when considered properly. Nioles hated his parents for naming him that way.

 _Its not like I can do anything about it now, is it?_

Nioles continued forward, the cloak trailing behind him.

 _Why does the dratted castle have to be so strong? My own country wouldn't have had a citadel half as big or tall as that one!_

But then again, the bigger the castle, the more chances it had of having some loophole it its security. And Nioles knew that he would spot one of those soon enough.

Ever since the prince had escaped his cage, and was seemingly taking refuge somewhere within the ship, Freohr had become extremely strict about security. If there was one thing that Nioles had realized then was that if he failed, it would be the last mission of his life.

Eragon hurried after the woman, Arya by his side. She had introduced herself before they began to head for her home. Her name was Leliana. Her hair trailed behind her in the light wind, as did Arya's.

"Since how long has he been living with you?" Arya asked her.

"A few months," Leliana replied. "I found him lying near that very building where I met you, he said he would spend all his time there, thinking and dreaming. How he had survived, or how he had got food, I have no idea."

Eragon shrugged, but he knew how Heslant must have survived.

 _He knows magic, he could have easily sensed an animal or something and hunted it in much the same I used to, with the stone . . . that is, if he ever left this place . . . if not, then I don't know either._

Arya nudged him in the ribs suddenly and pointed down the street. There was a battalion of brightly armored men walking with their heads held high, and glinting swords belted to their hips.

"Looks like Orothrim has already begun sending the men you needed." Arya said, and Eragon was sure he spotted a smile on her face. His hand went around her shoulders and he pulled her close, suddenly wishing for her to be as near to him as possible.

Arya looked at him questioningly, but he just shrugged and kissed her on the forehead as they continued on after Leliana.

They walked for a while, Leliana didn't say much. Nor did she need to say anything as they surroundings spoke for themselves. There were poor people there for the most part, unfortunate people, but even they had their self esteem and dignity. Their clothes, although simple, were clean and their hair was trimmed. The men walked around, talking about their work or discussing some other matters, while women bought bread and other foodstuffs from the shops. Children were running around, tossing sticks at each other.

But all these activities stopped as soon as Leliana led Eragon and Arya into their midst. The men stopped talking and stared at the Lead Rider and Arya, his beautiful companion, some even stared at her openly. The women also watched, staring at the Lead Rider. The children looked at them in wonder, the tossed sticks falling to the ground.

Sensing the enormous amount of stares that they were getting, Eragon took his place in front of Arya and Leliana and said, "Greetings, people of Tierm . . . Do not let our presence hinder your work. Please, carry on as if nothing is out of the ordinary."

Everyone seemed to take a second to understand what he was saying, but they did as they were told and began going about their work, although they did it more quietly and with a sense of urgency.

"So, Leliana . . . where is he?" Eragon asked her, and she stared at him for a while, then looked at Arya and turned back to him. Eragon stared at her, into her black eyes. Something made him think that she was suspicious of them, and of the desperation they were showing to meet the monk. Quite honestly, Eragon didn't blame her, but he didn't have the time to prove her wrong.

"Listen, we mean no harm to Heslant." Eragon told her. "We need his help, and I am sure he would like to talk to me . . . you see, he is my great uncle."

Leliana gasped and stumbled back in surprise when she heard him, her eyes wide. Arya raised her hand to her mouth, a couple of her dainty fingers hiding her smile. Eragon was amused as well.

"What! You, related to him? But he said he has no family left, he said he was alone in this world!" Leliana said loudly, and people began to stare at them again.

Eragon and Arya glanced at each other, then Eragon began talking again, "Well . . . I found out this just some days ago, to be honest . . . so I don't think he might even know I am related to him . . . you see, not many people know my full name as such . . . its Eragon Kingslayer Bromsson . . ."  
The word 'Bromsson' didn't seem to ring any bells in Leliana either, because she still appeared a little shocked.

"If you say so . . . You are the Lead Rider after all . . . oh fine, he lives at my home with me, I'll take you there."

Nioles could literally dance with joy. He had been following a seemingly ordinary street towards the richer sections of the society, and he had been cursing his mission all the while, when suddenly he had seen two elves standing ahead. They were dressed royally and he could have sworn that the female had a glistening palm, although the male one was wearing gloves. He had hurriedly jumped aside.

 _Dragon Riders!_ He had thought.

In the battles where he had come from, these dragon riders had been a tad big pain for his superiors, not because of them but because of their dragons. Those savage beasts could even tear down the freakish Lethrblaka, and those beaked monsters, Nioles had thought, were the worst he would ever see. He had clearly been wrong, dragons had beaten them ten to one.

He had silently watched as the male elf had addressed the people on the streets, then hurriedly edged closer and closer until he could hear what they were discussing. He had caught snatches of the conversation.

 _Full name, Eragon Shadeslayer Bromsson, great uncle is still alive and . . . He is the Lead Rider! Looks like I will get more money than I though!_ Nioles couldn't believe what he had heard.

But the woman had said it with much confidence, and the elf had not denied it. This would be news for his masters, and he knew that he was going to be rewarded handsomely for this by Freohr.

So, right now, he was sprinting on the rooftop, and jumping off to the next one, heading towards the ocean.

Eragon entered the house slowly, after Arya and Leliana.

Trepidation of sorts rose in him then, as did a little excitement. He was going to meet someone who he had long thought dead, whom even his father hadn't know was alive, and now he was going to discover something so important, the fate of his world might depend on it. And it was his great uncle who was going to tell him this, it all seemed so complicated yet simple.

Arya looked back to see him hesitating slightly, then grabbed his hand softly and pulled him forward. Eragon smiled. He was glad Arya was one to keep her foot firm in the ground and not be swayed as easily as him in normal circumstances. He had someone he could always look to for solace and love.

Holding Arya's hand tightly, he walked ahead, while Leliana disappeared inside, probably gone to get Heslant.

"Are you afraid?" Arya asked him very quietly, once they were inside.

Eragon stared at her, then shook his head, "No, not exactly afraid . . . I am more . . . tensed . . . I can't explain how or why, but that's just how I feel at the moment . . . "

Arya nodded, and he hoped she understood what he was saying.

 _Don't worry Eragon, I always understand you._ Someone said in his mind, and Eragon knew it was his mate.

 _I am glad you do, my love._

"Eragon . . . Kingslayer . . . Bromsson! Now that's news I . . . haven't dreamt of hearing . . . in my life . . . Brom had a son!" A voice said, extremely old, rough and high pitched but filled with sudden energy.  
Eragon and Arya both turned around to see Leliana holding an old man and helping him walk upt o them. He was holding onto the woman with one of his hands, and holding the other one out.

"Heslant? . . ." Arya asked, staring at him. Clearly, she had not expected him to be like that. Eragon was a little surprised as well.

The man was so thin and weak, he might have vanished into thin air had he been thinner. But his eyes were the worst, the skin around them was blackened completely, and though the eyelids were closed, Eragon was sure that they had nothing to cover.

"I am Heslant . . . wait a minute, who are you? You don't sound like Brom's son . . . Leliana are you sure it's a son? It could be a daughter . . ." Heslant said, and Leliana smiled.

"Calm down, its his friend." Leliana muttered in his ear.

Eragon stared at him for a while, then spoke, "Its good to see you, great uncle . . . I think you have been waiting for quite a long time for me to come along and speak to you . . ."

Heslant's face snapped to Eragon, "You sound . . . familiar! You sound just like Brom! So, you are his son! I didn't know I had a great nephew . . . better, that he is the lead Rider and the hero of Alagaesia . . ."  
Eragon smiled, "One of the heroes, great uncle . . . I am afraid, there were many others who fought Galbatorix, although I did strike the final blow . . . I owe my life to those who died defending mine."  
Arya twitched slightly and turned to Eragon. Though his face didn't show any signs of his changing thoughts, he was feeling remorse again inside, as he always did when he recalled the war. She knew he was thinking about the elf who had given her life for him, even though he had always scorned her. She knew he had recalled Naeiyva.

 _Eragon . . . now is not the time to get sentimental . . ._ Arya told him mentally.

 _I know Arya . . ._ Eragon replied, distracted.

 _Being sad won't bring Naeivya back, so stop brooding right now and concentrate on the matter at hand. Remember, we don't have much time._

"Heslant, I really must ask . . . What happened to you?" Eragon asked him. "Galbatorix was under the impression that it was because of his magic that you were blind and-"

"Galbatorix! You are connected to him now?" Leliana asked in a trembling voice, gawking at Heslant, extreme shock in her eyes. It seemed Heslant had not told her anything.

"Well . . . yes . . ." Heslant said, trying to look apologetic, but Eragon knew that he would not have dared do that if he had been able to see the look on Leliana's face.

"Anyway, what happened?" Eragon asked him, and Heslant smiled.

"First . . . Leliana, I was a dragon Rider . . . you should-"

"You what?!" Leliana asked faintly, her eyes almost twice as wide and her skin pale.

Heslant placed a hand on her shoulder, "Now, trust me, things will be much clearer . . ." Then he turned back to Eragon, "Well . . . to begin with, I suppose Galbatorix must have told you most of the things, but I wasn't maimed or even injured by Galbatorix . . . oh no, I was hunted down by someone else . . ."

Eragon stared at him, and slowly his curiosity grew. Suddenly, a conscious nudged at his, and he turned to see that Arya had experienced the same.

"Let me in already . . ." Heslant said, smiling. Eragon nodded and hesitantly let the man in, then realized that his nod wouldn't have been noticed since Heslant was blind.

As soon as he let Heslant in, a stream of emotions, images, sounds and other things began to gather in his consciousness. Heslant was sending him a memory of something. Eragon waited patiently, knowing what it was. After a minute, it had come.

 _He was running as fast as he could, and around, leaves, barks and twigs were all a blur. He was panting now, his feet burning, his legs aching. But he couldn't stop, he had to get away, he had to escape, he had to run.  
He heard the unmistakable roar of Shruikan behind him and his fear grew._

 **They are coming closer!** _He thought, and looked back. But, to his utter relief, they were heading towards the west, away from him, towards the ocean._

 _By 'they' he meant Galbatorix and his pet dragon. Knowing the mad king, he was certain that he would get killed or worse if he came within the king's grasp._

 _"Well, look around already! I am getting quite bored here . . ." A thin, raspy voice said suddenly, a voice he knew all too well._

 _"Durza! I should have known . . ." Heslant muttered, his hands grasping his green sword and drawing it swiftly._

 _But before he quite knew what was going on, something hit his head hard enough to make lights pop out in front of him._

 _The shade was a lot faster than he had anticipated, but then again, shades were surprising at their best. It was their specialty at times._

 _But this shade, Durza, was different somehow. He never regarded himself as multiple beings, always had a sense of individuality, something rare among shades. In fact, he was probably the first shade Heslant knew who thought of himself as a single living entity, and not multiple. How and why, he sure didn't know._

 _A kick came to his shins, making him lose balance and topple over. But he rolled to the side almost as soon as he fell, and got up with his sword out and shining. He wasn't going to give in so easily._

 _Durza was grinning, his own sword in his hands, "Heslant, you know that you can't win against me, so why try? So that you can lose?"_

 _He twitched slightly, surprised that Durza knew his name and was using it with familiarity._

 _"I don't think you should be so confident, you don't even know what I am capable of . . ." Heslant replied, but Durza laughed, his black armor quite dull._

 _"Oh, you want to start word games with me, eh? Well, I don't have the patience for those, I'd much rather just kill you and be-"_

 _Whatever he was going to say next was lost as he was attacked by the former Rider, his green sword raised in preparation._

 _But Durza blocked the blow, then pushed the sword aside and retaliated with a faster jab, but Heslant parried the blow and shot back another upward strike._

"I don't think you'd like to see all of the fight, it isn't that interesting . . . I'll just show you the ending and the truly interesting part." Heslant told them. "I was defeated, obviously. I was in no condition to fight then, I was just fleeing and running. But when I faced him, I didn't have a choice but to fight, for my own life at least."

More images, thoughts, emotions and other feelings began to enter Eragon's and Arya's mind, and soon he was reliving what had happened then.

 _The hilt of the sword banged his head hard, hard enough to make his vision blur and to make him fall to the ground._

 _There was a small thump as his sword fell to the ground, and he fell to his knees, panting. The fight had been fast and tiring, and furious as well. But in the end, Durza had won. The Shade had been a lot faster and stronger than he had ever expected._

 _"What are you . . . you are no ordinary Shade! History has never said anything about a Shade like you, except . . ." Heslant cried, looked up in horror._

 _Durza laughed manically as he walked towards him, sheathing his sword._

 _"Except?" Durza asked him, while Heslant remained on the ground. When he tried to move, he realized that he was pinned to the ground with magic, by Durza, though when he had cast the spell, he couldn't recall._

 _"Except once . . . the tale of Eragon (the first) and Anurin leaving Alagaesia to hunt for another Shade, one that had ravaged our land . . .one that had been born in our land as well . . ." Heslant said._

 _For the first time during the fight, Durza grew grave, "Have you recorded that in your book?"_

 _"Something so important cannot be kept hidden forever, but no, I didn't record it in there . . . but I did record how your-"_

 _"What do you know about that Shade? What do you know about the great one who had almost conquered Alagaesia?" Durza asked him forcefully, a sudden desire in his eyes._

 _"Nothing . . . I only know that he isn't in Alagaesia anymore, and is probably dead by now, Eragon's and Anurin's sword poking through his heart." Heslant told him, and got kicked in the stomach for it._

 _"You think so? I'll enlighten you then . . ." Durza said, grabbing him by the hair and pulling him up._

 _"I am the one he sent to Alagaesia! Me, Durza! To capture this place . . . does this clear anything?" Durza asked him, and he stared at him with wide eyes._

 _"You mean . . . but weren't you born here! Weren't you . . . Carsaib?" Heslant asked him, and Durza seemed to be a little surprised before he covered it up._

 _"How do you . . . never mind . . . I wasn't Carsaib in the flesh who was sent here . . . the Great one summoned us from the surroundings when we . . . that is, when I still haunted the lands far away. He summoned us . . . I mean, me . . . and I . . . we came and we listened to what he said. We wanted a body!" Durza said, his voice suddenly growing much more hoarse and loud._

 _Heslant stared at him in surprise, fear building up inside of him now. What was wrong with him? Durza never regarded himself as many beings together, he always thought of himself as a single individual. Now, all of a sudden he was saying 'we' instead of 'I', and was getting confused himself._

 _"I got a body then, I was looking for someone who needed me, and someone whom I needed, Carsaib was perfect! He knew almost nothing about spirits, and he didn't expect some . . . evil ones like us, I mean, me to go ahead and take him over . . . He wasn't ready , unlike other sorcerers. All I needed to do after that was alter myself, because I ended up having the body of a child . . . that is why I think I am so thin." Durza told him, and then he must have realized that he had given away too much of himself._

 _But now, Heslant was interested. He knew that he was going to die, but he wanted to know as much about Durza before he did._

 _"Why stop?" Heslant asked him. "I am going to die now anyway, I don't think there is anything wrong with telling me a little more about this great one of yours . . "_

 _Durza turned to him, a glow in his eyes, and Heslant dearly hoped that he would take the bait._

 _"Oh very well . . . The Great one, you want to know about? . . . I suppose you are worthy enough, you have the courage to write a book which contradicts everything said by a mad man who just turns out to be king with the help of someone like me, and you know that you will be killed . . ." Durza told him and turned to the horizon, a little worry stretched across his face._

 _Heslant looked around as well, but he didn't say anything._

 _"My master, the Great one, is Burthr abr Andlat . . . that's all I will say about his name . . . and you are right, he is the one who nearly conquered Alagaesia, then left with Eragon and Anurin chasing after him like dogs . . ." Heslant said, a little amused. Heslant ground his teeth, a little angry at the insult._

 _"And those two Riders set up their puppet Lead Rider, Vrael, here so that he could keep everyone safe. But they forgot one thing, that my master had a strong influence even in the land where he was heading. He wasn't a stranger there, unlike Eragon and Anurin, and their mates." Durza told him._

 _Heslant twitched slightly, but he was still unable to move. Durza wasn't looking at him, he was staring towards the south._

 _"But, where did they all go? If they are alive, where are they now?" Heslant asked him._

 _Durza turned around and stared at him._

 _"My master is still alive, I am certain . . . and they are in the land of the elves . . ." Durza muttered, then jumped, his hand flying to his sword._

 **Land of elves? Du Weldenvarden? . . . No! He means the land from where they all came, not many people know the name of the place except the most learnt humans and the elves.** _He realized._

 _Durza was suddenly extremely tensed, and Heslant was sure he knew that the magic was not acting on him anymore. He could run now, but the problem was that if Durza found out, he would be dead. But the information he now knew would be the turning point of the world._

 _Now he was certain, Durza wasn't pinning him to the ground anymore. But, he realized why the Shade was so tensed. His keen ears had heard it before Heslant had._

 **Galbatorix! He is coming this way, he must have realized that I had fooled him and Shruikan! Blast it, I have to run now!** _Heslant thought, and jumped to his feet, panicking._

 _Durza seemed to be panicking as well, and he much have found out which direction Galbatorix was coming from, because now he was muttering something under his breath. Heslant realized that he was muttering the spell to bend the light._

 _Heslant stood up and hoped to the world that his luck would hold and help him get out of there. He began to run, then sprint as fast as he could, his robes silent. There was forest all around him, if he could just get inside, he could hide under some bush and escape._

 _"Oh no, you are not escaping alive!" Durza yelled from behind him, then yelled, "Garjzla!"_

 _Heslant knew that a bold of light was coming for him, and he also knew that he didn't have the energy to engage Durza in a wizard's duel. So, he jumped to the side, and the bolt missed him by millimeters, hitting the tree around which he had jumped._

 _Then, abruptly he fell to the ground, and quite suddenly ground breaking, flesh searing pain raced across the back of his head. He yelled in pain then, but he knew he couldn't stop. Scrambling to his feet, forgetting everything else, he ran. He didn't care anymore, and he ran faster, not caring or knowing in which direction he was going, where he would end up. His vision was blurring fast and soon it began to go dark, but he knew he couldn't stop. Not now, not when he knew where Eragon and Anurin were.  
_

 **They are in Alalea!**

Eragon jumped out of his reverie and stared at the old man in front of him, startled and astounded. Heslant was holding onto Leliana, who seemed quite concerned for him all of a sudden.

"There . . . they are all in Alalea . . . at the land of elves . . . your friend can tell you everything about it . . ." Heslant said, motioning towards the general direction of Arya.

Eragon turned to her, to see her dazed. Her eyes were wide, and there was joy yet sadness in then when she turned around and stared at Eragon.

"We . . . we are going to the land of my ancestors? To the land from where all the elves came? . . . Oh, Eragon . . . I don't know if I can-"

Eragon wrapped an arm around her shoulders before she could continue and pulled her close to him, hugging her. He knew what it meant to her, going to a completely foreign land, but knowing that it was actually the place where she belonged.

Heslant came closer suddenly, and Eragon stared at him, a smile on his face.

"I am glad you came searching for me, you are my only surviving blood relation, Eragon . . . Brom was right, he was determined to bring about Galbatorix's downfall . . . and he had a son like you who did what he dearly wished to do . . . He would be proud of you today, Eragon . . . Proud of what you have done, and what you are going to do . . . "

Eragon nodded, and Heslant smiled and patted him on the shoulders, then felt his face with his weak fingers.

The truth was now finally unleashed, but out to the sea, a man cried in triumph, knowing that now he was going to be rewarded handsomely. He knew who the lead Rider was, he knew who his great uncle was, he knew that he had a mate. He knew where to find them, they were going to be his targets.

Freohr stood with his sword drawn at the same moment, and in front of him stood the Prince. This was not going to end up in failure, the Prince was going to remain with him, no matter what happened.


	44. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43: Escape, and Predicament.**

Angrenost felt like he had been frozen into place.

In front of him was Freohr, the very person who had captured him and who was responsible for Beirland turning against Alagaesia.

And behind him were Freohr's men, and all of them bent on capturing him, and they were closing in on him, running down the passage from where he had just entered the room.

He was in a small room, with two more doors on either sides of him, and two wooden chairs leaning on the wall just next to him. The small room was too confining for Angrenost to be able to escape if all the men behind him caught up, which they eventually would.

Blasted great! Angrenost thought, while Freohr just grinned in front of him. Angrenost hurriedly moved back and kicked the door, then fumbled for the lock.

 _If I can lock this door and keep those men out . . . I can get out of here, at least I have a better chance . . . Bah! Where is the darn lock?_ Angrenost thought, and cursed under his breath.

He found it, and quickly bolted the door shut, so that those men could not enter. Now all he had to do was get past Freohr, which would be quite tough if it came to a sword fight.

 _I think I would have preferred facing those men._ Angrenost thought.

"Prince, you are much more cleverer than I thought, you actually outsmarted my men and escaped with your hands tied up, and even freed and armed yourself." Freohr said, triumph evident in his tone.

I must think of something . . . Maybe some of the thing in here can help . . . Angrenost thought, slowly coming to a quite simple yet effective plan.

Angrenost didn't react to Freohr's comment, instead he turned his back to Freohr and retreated towards the wall, next to the chairs. "That's more than anything I had ever expected . . . Oh well, you are not going-" Freohr jumped to the side as a wooden chair flew straight at him. He turned and looked back, snarling, only to see no one in the room.

Angrenost had thrown the chair at him and had escaped, running out of the door to the left.

 _I didn't expect him to be that careless . . ._ Angrenost thought, running as fast as he could, his cloak billowing behind him. He was running down a corridor, and straight ahead of him was a window. The corridor diverged but straight ahead was the window, which opened up to the deck of the ship. Angrenost didn't know where it would take him, but that was a chance he was planning to take.

Behind him, he was sure Freohr was giving chase along with his men.

 _The moment of truth . . ._ Angrenost thought to himself. There was no turning back now. He had to escape, right now, and this was his only chance.

Bracing himself for the pain that he knew was going to come, he pushed himself even farther, his limbs pumping with energy, and the muscles on his arms and shoulders tightening instinctively as he came closer and closer to the wooden frame of the window. Adrenaline pumped up his blood, and body, making his heart beat faster, increasing his senses and speed.

The entire ship was actually made of wood, but the corridor was highly polished, although dark and narrow. There wasn't much in there of interest.

Here goes nothing! Angrenost thought and leapt ahead, hands raised. He crashed into the window frame a lot harder than he had imagined, but the pain he felt was a lot lesser than he had expected.

Wood splintered and the window creaked in reply as Angrenost smashed his way through. When he fell through, he felt as if he was falling into thin air, and for a couple of heartbeats it seemed to be true. But then, he hit the ground hard.

Not pausing to think, not pausing to realize that there was a cool breeze hitting his skin now or that the sun was shining above him, he scrambled to his feet and ran ahead.

Behind him, Freohr jumped out of the broken window, his sword drawn. He was followed by several men, the bald one heading them. Angrenost swore again, running straight. He was on the deck of the ship, and there were low railings of metal right ahead of him. The ship was oval in shape, a little different than the ones in Alagaesia, and it was dark in color, like the color of cherry wood. His feet pounded the wooden floor as he dodged the posts and men, pushing them aside whenever necessary.

Though he didn't see much of the ship, he knew that the captain's cabin was on the other end of the ship, and it was raised high above the others. Two stairs curved downwards from the door of the cabin, just half a dozen steps high. Ahead of the cabin was the pole that held the sails. It didn't have any sails on now, but the pole was dozens of feet high and at a point, another pole extended horizontally, about two dozen feet long, twelve feet in either directions. Ahead of that pole, a much taller one stood, bereft of sails as well.  
It was at least nine feet higher than the other one. After that one, another shorter pole stood, sail less as well.

Angrenost stood below the last pole, and he had got out from the window of another cabin, which was the dormitory for the sailors and soldiers. Angrenost ran ahead, the edge of the ship quite close now.

Behind him, Freohr sprinted after him as well, yelling manically for people to black Angrenost's way. But before they could, Angrenost leapt onto the railings of the ship, then dived ahead and fell straight into the water below.

Freohr stood at the deck and cursed, watching the Prince fall into the water, then begin swimming towards the shores of the island of Sharktooth, where many of his men had set up camps. Freohr waited for a couple of minutes, then yelled, "You, follow me!" and taking a running jump, he leapt off the ship as well, followed by two more men. The others hurriedly began to unload the small boats.

A wave of icy blast coursed through Angrenost's body as the cold water hit his skin, passing through his clothes as easily as if it were not there. He gasped as he fell into the water completely, then flapped around for a moment, trying not to sink.

 _Towards the left! Towards land!_ Angrenost thought and hurriedly began swimming towards the east, his feet and hands pushing him forwards like a frog. His sword and drenched clothes were weighing him down, but he knew he couldn't give up now. He had escaped the ship, now all he had to do was get back to the mainland. Once there, he would be able to get back to Carvahall.

He had swum only a dozen yards when he heard three splashes. He knew what they meant, Freohr and his men were right behind him. The realization only made him swim harder, and he knew that the land was close now, he could see it, it was just some moments away. Once there, he had to keep running, he had to be on the move.

Kicking the water harder, and pushing himself forward with his hands, he worked his way ahead, trying to be as fast as possible. The land was getting closer and closer, and so were Freohr and his men.

Soon, Angrenost felt his hands and knees hit the sand, and in an instant, he was crouching on white shores of the island. Not waiting, he stood up and trotted forward, gasping in exhaustion. The sand would leave his footprints behind, but right ahead, the area was rocky, where he could hide and not worry about being found.

It would be hard for them to track his foot prints as well. Within moments, he was hiding behind a huge boulder, trying to control his gasping.

Behind him, Freohr also got out of the ocean and began looking around, as his men came up behind him.

Angrenost hurriedly got up and began to move again, heading for two huge boulders.

"Prince! You cannot escape me in here!" Freohr yelled, his voice extremely loud and powerful. "This is my island, my place of refuge! You think you can hide from me in the place where I rule? You are pitifully mistaken my friend . . . now come out and let us end this foolish game of cat and mouse!"

Angrenost heard him, but he wasn't going to step out of his hiding place, he was crouching between a couple of boulders, which were placed one over the other, and he was hiding in their shadow. But he knew that he couldn't stay there for long, he had to keep moving.

But the problem was his present condition, he was cold, drenched in water which was dripping off his clothes, and it was difficult for him to stop stuttering and shivering.

 _Just my luck . . ._ He thought, then began moving ahead. Something about the place seemed to suggest that it was not ideal to remain there too long.

Crouching low and moving quickly, he went through the narrow gaps between huge rocks, all of them pointed and sharp, pointing skywards. The entire area was full of them, rocks several inches taller than Angrenost, leaping skywards as if to plunge themselves into the never ending blue of the ocean.

Hard as it was, the rough floor poking at the soles of his feet, even his shoes couldn't protect his feet against the jagged rocks, Angrenost knew he had to be careful, one wrong step and it would all be gone for good. Freohr would find him, and probably kill him.

He was moving fast now, jogging ahead with his waist bent downwards. Behind him, he couldn't hear any scuffling or moving, yet he knew that he couldn't underestimate those men, and that they could come up from anywhere.

As he looked around, he saw, right ahead, a way out of that rocky place, to a barren place. But straight, as he looked up, he saw the looming image of a hill, the only hill on Sharktooth Island. Angrenost had not been aware of the fact that the island had a hill, but now that he did, he felt a little glad about it. The hill was sure to have caves, and Freohr's men must probably have made camps all around the place. He could stay at those camps and act like he was a part of the soldiers Freohr had brought.

Realizing the possibilities and options that would open up, Angrenost began to hurry towards the hill.  
Being with those men would present him with a situation when he would be able to catch a boat to the shore, which wasn't so far away, and he would be able to join the men of his kingdom and alert the king of Freohr's eminent threat.

Robes billowed loudly, fluttering in the strong winds, flapping around a single person standing in the balcony of an immense palace. The palace of Ureimes, the capital city of the elves in the land beyond.  
This was the most important city in the entire land, and its capture had been one of the most important things that the person had achieved, and he was enjoying the fact that he could now roam the castle at free will, and do whatever he wanted with it. The inhabitants of the city, mainly elves, had fled towards the east, and he was planning a conquest in that direction as well.

The figure then folded his hands and took a deep breath, savoring the sweet smell of victory. One single thought filled his mind then, something that he was truly proud of.

 _I am the lord of Alalea, they all owe their allegiance to me now! I am the emperor . . ._

"The emperor", he laughed. It was his favorite word, and something that he had always wanted to be, but had not achieved before. For hundreds of years, he had been dreaming of a time when he would be incharge and have all that he wanted. And now, it had come true, he was a ruler.

But this was not enough for his greedy nature. He wanted more, he now wished to rule not just Alalea, but also every other land in the world. He had already conquered one land, conquering others wouldn't be that difficult. In truth, he had planned things completely, but instead of hunting for new lands, he decided to conquer the lands which he already knew existed and where they were present.

 _Alagaesia . . . you shall be my next target, you shall fall to me. I shall complete what I left incomplete earlier._ He thought.

He was right in thinking so, he had failed to capture the land once, the very land where he had taken birth, the very land where he had been captured. The very land because of which he had become what he was now, and also had what he had now. Eternal power.

He was the greatest of the warriors, more cunning than a snake, more dangerous than fear, worse than pain and the one who gave birth to death.

 _Freohr, my child, I hope you are doing a good job out there . . ._ He thought. _And you, Zar'rac and Orúm, don't let me down . . ._

He was the leader of all of them, the one who had planned and organized each and everything in the conquest.

He was Crugan.

His white robes, his usual attire, didn't completely hide his pitch black sword. The image he set in all common men who saw him was that of ruthless rage, coldness and horrifying dread. Anyone who saw him would, at least for a second, think twice before coming closer.

But that is what he was, a monster, the true replica of evil. His terrible image just a sign of his true nature.

Walking briskly now, he passed through the wide doorway into the room beyond. The room was grand, alright, but it was not a room for leisure. This was where the Kings and Emperors of old had always planned their strategies against their enemies, and Crugan meant to keep up that tradition.

The room was extremely wide and circular, with many chairs at the walls, and tables halfway closer, forming another circle. Inside the circle of tables, was another circle of grand looking chairs. Inside that circle was a single table and a throne like chair. This was his seat now, though it had earlier belonged to someone else. Someone as unworthy of the throne as he was unworthy of walking on this Earth.

That particular elf, and his companions, were Crugan's sworn enemies, and they had troubled him for a very, very long time.

Even thinking about them brought rage to him, but with it, came a feeling of deep content. He had destroyed that elf, and killed all of his companions, except the dragon. Those two were alone now, out of the eight that there had been earlier.

 _Eragon, you lost . . . you lost everything just because you decided to make it your foolish life's ambition to have me slain . . . don't you know that I cannot be killed?_ Crugan thought, walking towards the innermost circle.

When he had taken over, Crugan had made some changes in that room, but none of those were visible, though he remembered them vividly.

The first change had been that all the servants whom he kept had to keep themselves out of his sight.

But now, triumph was returning to him.

He had succeeded, once more, in gaining what he had needed, though only in part. He had needed a dragon and its rider, together. Though he didn't have the dragon, he had the Rider, and the perfect person as well.

He finally reached the Throne, and sat down, though not letting himself relax. He might remain there physically, but mentally, he was going to leave his body and do what he needed to.

Sitting on the throne, he looked around, then his gaze went up. There, ahead but high in the air, under a column of light, hovered a figure. The figure was that of a woman, and she seemed to be extremely nimble and fair. Her black hair wavered like the wisps of smoke, trying to fly away from her perfect body.

The palm of her right hand glittered as she twisted a bit. Crugan felt disgust grow in him as he saw the sign of the dragon Riders, instantly awakening horrible memories inside of him.

But he tackled them, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. Reaching towards her with his mind, he was met by extremely strong barriers.

Not pausing, he attacked the barriers casually. His first attack made quite less damage on the fortifications, but when he attacked a second time, cracks appeared on the walls. With his third attack, they began to break away, and finally, with his fourth attack, they were all completely gone.

Crugan grinned, sneering at the Rider's belief that she could have kept him out. Instantly, he rushed into her mind, and the first thing that he found out from the Rider was this:

 _Her name is . . . Elva . . ._


	45. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44: Joys and Sorrows of the Lead Rider**

Eragon stood at the balcony of his quarters, staring at the sea. His thoughts were turbulent, once thinking about his time there, in Tierm, and then about the fact that he would leave and what would Alalea be like. Heslant had left no doubt in his mind, Alalea was where he had to go, and it was there where all the pieces of this puzzle would fall together.

Now, only one thing remained. To call all the Riders, and tell them of his departure, and about the threat that was coming.

The thought of the Riders brought to him other memories, the number of Riders that he had appointed after their training. How proud most of them had seemed, and how happily the other Riders had cheered. Of course, the very first Rider after Galbatorix's downfall whom he had appointed was Nasuada and her dragon, Draumr. She was followed by scores of others just two or three years later, mostly elves, much to the joy of King Dathedr.

But then, many more humans had become Riders, Ephian and Elva among them. Eragon had been surprised to see both of them as Riders, but pleased as well. Ephian had had a difficult life, Eragon knew. The son of the Varden's previous general, Jormundor, he had been talented in the arts of combat and war since the very beginning when Eragon had met him in Dauth.

Elva . . . it was needless to say, she was extremely powerful and cunning. Although Eragon had noticed that, ever since becoming a Rider she had become more and more like normal humans. Her eyes, body, everything seemed ordinary now, except the patch of silver skin on her brow. But that was easily mistaken for a side effect of her bond with her dragon, Eridor. Eragon knew that Eridor had played the most important role in changing her, and he was glad for it.

But then again, Eragon knew that his curse would never heal completely, though it had been subdued to almost nothingness by Eridor's magic. If someone capable enough in magic was able to break away those bonds of magic, Elva would regain her horrible abilities, and change for the worst. Eragon knew that it was a dreadful thing, and he dearly hoped that she would not be captured by Crugan or someone else wishing to harm Alagaesia, although the prospect seemed highly likely somehow.

Then again, came his own family, which was quite larger than what it had been a hundred years ago. Now he had his brother, Murtagh and his wife Nasuada, both their dragons, Thorn and Draumr. He had his beloved Arya, and her dragon Valinor, then Saphira, his partner of heart and mind. And finally, Deaother, his one and only son, his best student.

When Deaother had been born, Eragon had hoped that he would also be a Dragon Rider, and Deaother himself had been interested in becoming like his father when he had been a small child. But then, once he had grown up and had begun thinking maturely, he had plainly said that he didn't want to become a dragon rider. When asked the reason, he said that it was a responsibility which he didn't want. He said he was very happy with having the rest of his family as dragon Riders and quite contented with their dragons as well, because they all let him rider them, talk to them mentally and almost treated him as their own Rider.

Eragon had been disappointed, yes, but he was still not sure whether Deaother would truly escape the prospect of becoming a dragon Rider, considering two, now three, generations of his family had been dragon Riders: Heslant, Brom and Eragon. Deaother seemed to have worked out that out as well, although he didn't know about Heslant. So, he had always kept a distance from the dragon eggs, and always been reluctant to come with Arya or Eragon when they accompanied the Riders who carried the eggs to different places.

Arya, well, she was as important to him as Saphira. Both of them had ruled his life, but now, he had done something both of them had not anticipated. He had decided to leave, and Arya had agreed with him, although a little angrily. Saphira had agreed after a long while of arguments and fights.

Things seemed to be alright now, Murtagh and Nasuada were happy together as were their dragons with their own mates. Saphira and Thorn, Draumr and Valinor, all were extremely happy with each other. Guiltiness welled up inside Eragon as he realized that he would tearing away their happiness and joy, and that he would be making them go away from their mates, something which he himself was rather frightened of doing.

As the thought struck him, another though followed almost instantly.

 _Deaother! He doesn't that we are leaving!_ Eragon thought, and hurriedly turned around and jogged back inside. But something stopped him as he went into the room, halting his steps. Could he really tell his own son that he was living to another land, without even telling him anything of the happenings so far, about the great, great uncle whom Deaother had never known? Eragon knew that he could not, not in this way. He would have to talk to him properly, and for that, Deaother would have to come here.

With that in mind he hurried inside, but stopped again as he entered his room, to see Arya standing before the mirror and talking to someone. Eragon realized that she was talking to Everaun, the Rider stationed in Ellesmera. The room was quite ordinary, the way he preferred. A bed for two, a table and some chairs to the side of the room, a mirror mounted next to the table and the walls having several candle bars and small chandeliers above.

"Yes, bring Deaother with you as well . . . everything will be explained soon, just come to Tierm." Arya told him, and Everaun nodded. Arya stopped the magic of scrying and saw Eragon in the mirror, which now reflected them both.

Eragon noticed a change in her, she had been acting different ever since they had realized that they would be heading for Alalea. Was it because of the prospect of visiting her true homeland? Or was it because she was leaving the land which had been her life ever since her birth?

 _It could be both . . ._ Eragon thought and smiled at her as he walked closer.

"Well, looks like you realized what I was going to do before I did it . . ." Eragon told her. He himself had intended to scry Everaun and tell him to bring Deaother with him. Arya turned around and stared at him for a long time, an intimidating scowl on her face. The way her eyes seemed to scan him, it made Eragon's neck prickle with apprehension, as if he had committed a crime and had finally been caught for it.

"Yes, I did . . ." Arya said, her voice far from gentle. "Although, unlike you, I realized that it would have to be done earlier than when you were you were planning to do it."

Eragon blinked twice at what she had just said. "What? What are you saying?"

Arya frowned at him, then sighed and began walking towards the door, then she suddenly turned around and stared at him furiously. Eragon retreated suddenly, his eyes locked with hers. There was something terribly wrong going on, and Eragon intended to find out what it was.

"Arya, what's wrong?" Eragon asked her. She was wearing her old leather shirt and trousers, and her arms were crossed.

"What's wrong!? Eragon, why didn't you think of telling him earlier? Why do you always forget about him?" Arya said shrilly.

"Who? Deaother? I don't want to trouble-"

"We are leaving Alagaesia for who knows how long, and you don't even think of informing our son about it?" Arya said, her voice like cold knives piercing Eragon's flesh.

It was another one of their usual arguments, now becoming more and more common. Eragon remembered the first time they had actually quarreled, and it had been because of Deaother. And now, once again they were quarrelling, and it was once again because of Deaother.

Eragon jumped slightly, shocked at Arya's cold words, then replied as anger unknowingly began to build inside of him, "You think I am an irresponsible father?" His voice was deadly low.

"No, I don't!" Arya yelled back. "I just think you push too many things for tomorrow, when you are completely capable of doing them right now! Would it have hurt if you would have talked to him yesterday when we came back from Heslant's house? Would it have killed you to-"

"Arya!" Eragon shouted, silencing her instantly. His face was red with rage, and his fingers were twitching by now. For the first time he was angry at her, and angrier than he had ever been in a long time. "Why didn't I do it? I had just talked to my great uncle, who I thought didn't exist; who just happened to be a rider, and the author of the Dominance of fate, almost two hundred years old and had fought both Galbatorix and Durza. He had, in fact, been crippled by Durza!" Eragon was ranting now, completely out of control and unable to stop himself.

"Do you think I would be able to go ahead and talk to Deaother after all that, when I myself was so disturbed? If you think so, then I am sorry to say that you are extremely mistaken and have not understood me quite that well in the past century! Why don't you . . ." Eragon stopped himself there, tightening his hands into fists trying to control the sudden torrent of rage that had seeped through him. This was the first time that he had actually lost control of himself. At other times, he had silently endured Arya's words, knowing that she didn't mean them and that she would be fine after a while.

Arya seemed to be dazed by his sudden outburst. She retreated from him slightly, then turned around and stormed out of the room. Eragon stood there, scowling.

 _Yes go . . . this time, I have won the debate._ Eragon thought, still angry.

Still angry, he turned around and searched for Brisingr. It was on the table. He grabbed it and belted it on, just to have something to do with his hands. He felt like grabbing something with them and throwing it high into the sky.

 _Accusing me all the time of trying to make Deaother more independent, he isn't a baby to be coddled every few minutes, its about time we gave him his life, let him live as he wants to without disturbance._ Eragon thought, then realized that he himself wasn't thinking right. There was going to be a disturbance in everyone's life, it was all too obvious now.

As he pulled the sword on, he spotted Aren on his hand. He stared at it as he tightened the strap of the elt.  
Daunting memories came to him, all associated with that sapphire on the third finger of his hand. He recalled the bond between the ring and Arya's necklace. He recalled love and trust he had for her, and she for him. His anger slowly subsided then, when he remembered all they had done for each other, and it was replaced by regret and guilt.

 _Blast it, I have made a big mistake!_ Eragon thought, and he was a little annoyed that the dragons were away. He could have used their help. He looked around for Yawe, Arya's sword, and found in on their bedside table. Next to the sword was the necklace that he had given her, her treasure of his love. Eragon hurriedly grabbed them both and ran out of the room. He knew that he would have to find her and fast.

 _I don't know . . . Eragon . . . he truly . . . What is happening to us? Why does every passing day seem to hint that our time together is coming to an end? Why does it make me think that he will be taken away from me? . . . No, nothing like that is going happen, we are going to remain together, no matter how angry he is at me right now . . ._ Arya argued back and forth within the confines of her own mind, striding swiftly out of the large castle and out into the streets of the city.

Eragon's words had hurt a lot, it suddenly seemed as if her heart had been taken out of her body, her soul knotted away from his. They weren't supposed to fight like this, they loved each other. They were supposed to be a team, partners in peace and war, joy and sorrow, life and maybe even in death.

But Arya had to admit, she had never thought about what Eragon felt at the time, she had only been thinking of her son, and how he would feel if they left without telling him.

 _Deaother . . . another example of our love for each other . . . our son . . . our child . . . he . . . he is something whom we can call ours, our own. No one else can claim that honor . . ._ Arya thought, and her fists clenched tightly as she remembered the furious scowl on Eragon's face, his wide, furrowed eyes. She had never before seen him that way, he had never been angry at her.

But now he was, and why? Just because Arya had worried too much about Deaother, and had accused him for no reason, without thinking properly. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going now, just moving wherever her feet carried her. Gradually, the buildings and houses around became shorter and shorter, and she took a right turn as a wagon got in her way.

Unknown to her, on the rooftop of the nearby building, a shadow sprinted. With inhuman strength, it lunged ahead and reached another building, keeping pace with the elven Rider.

Eragon ran as fast as he could, moving higher and higher. He reached the outer walls of the castle, then looked around.

 _Arya, where are you?_

He took a look at the street down below, and she wasn't in sight, but he knew that she should be there, he had hurried after her as fast as possible. Then he gazed at the gates of the castle, to see that they were being shut.

 _Arya must have got out the castle just now . . ._ Eragon thought to himself, then sprinted to the right, so that he could look at the street to which the gates led. _Ah . . . there she is . . . but how do I catch up with her?_ Eragon thought. Arya was down there, walking quite fast and hurrying, it seemed, out of the city. He had to get to her and stop her.

Eragon looked around again, and an idea began forming in his mind. Hurriedly, he jogged several yards to the left and stood there, formulating his building straight ahead of him wasn't too far away, he was sure he would make it onto it if he jumped hard enough.

 _No other alternative . . . let's do this then._ Eragon thought, then moved back several more steps and took a running start. His limbs pounded the rock, and he moved faster than any other elf in Alagaesia. Running to the edge of the wall, he dived over the low wall and for three heartbeats seemed to fly like a hawk. Then, he somersaulted in the air and fell, feet first, onto the roof of the building, as planned.

His body was suddenly filled with extreme energy, making him wish he could run more. It had been too long since he had taken part in any real physical exercise, since Deaother had left. Otherwise, he and Deaother would spar every morning, and Deaother would curse Eragon all the while, because Eragon was stronger, faster and cleverer than his son.

 _Poor fellow, but he used to be incessantly proud whenever he won the match. . ._ Eragon thought, although that had happened rarely, in the past eighty four years. Eragon hurried to the edge of the building and searched for Arya. She was nowhere in sight.

 _Blast and damnations!_

Arya walked even faster, letting her feet, her grace and the movement of her arms distract her from what had happened earlier. She was still rather unsettled over it, but she knew she couldn't help it now. As she walked, she spotted children here and there, sons and daughters of people running around and playing together. She saw one of them, a boy, was brown haired and taller than most of them. The sight of that child reminded her how Deaother had seemed when he had been of that age. She imagined him, playing around with other children, but that had not been his fate.

Ever since his childhood, Arya had always kept him in her sight, never let him wander anywhere alone. He would always insist to be taken to the forest, but that request would hardly be fulfilled. She was always worried about him, and would always be angry if Eragon took him anywhere without telling her. For the first ten years of Deaother's life, he had always been watched. Then, as he began growing into an adolescent, he became more independent. But still, Arya didn't leave him. She made him study and study, and study more. He learnt everything, and Eragon taught him sparring. Sometimes, Deaother would go to the forest with Eragon, or with Murtagh and Nasuada along with their students, and meditate as well.

The dragons would make him ride them. Saphira had literally grabbed the collar of his shirt with her mouth and lifted him, placing him in the saddle on her back because he would constantly try to run away whenever she asked him to ride her. He had been just six years old then. Arya had nearly fainted with worry then, while Eragon had been laughing his head off. Deaother had been yelling at the top of his little voice that he didn't want to ride Saphira, but no one listened. Saphira took off, and Arya heard Deaother crying just before Saphira looped, corkscrewed and flapped higher and higher.

 _But those were the earlier times, now he was grown and matured, with his own worries of life, his own ways of thinking and his own separate house somewhere else. Why would he remember his parents now?_ Arya thought.

Arya walked on, smiling now, but stopped suddenly. She was sure she had heard something different, and she  
looked back. There was nothing out of the ordinary, just an ordinary street full of simple people. Then she looked up, to the left hand side building, and almost saw something move. But when she gazed carefully, she couldn't see anything.

 _Maybe it's the light, or perhaps because I wasn't paying much attention . . ._ Arya thought, discarding her suspicions and continuing ahead. She walked for several minutes more, until she passed a dark alley. She stopped there, and this time she knew that something was amiss, someone was there. She stared down the alley, alert. Soon, she was sure she had spotted some sort of a figure there.

But before she could get closer, the figure seemed to have disappeared. Suspicious, she walked further in and began look up and down the alley, but there was nothing there. Suddenly, she heard some sort of scuffling behind her, and she jumped around to see a man standing there. He was hooded, and gave of an air of unmerciful ruthlessness, something Arya detested.

"Shadeslayer . . ." The man hissed, and Arya raised an eyebrow.

 _Who is this?_

"What do you want?" Arya asked him.

"Want? Nothing materialistic . . . I want something else . . ." The figure said. Arya looked at him, up and down. He was wearing jet black pants, and shirt, and had a black hood over his head. On his belt were two daggers, dark in color.

"Speak up then, don't waste my time." Arya told him.

The man bowed his head, seemingly nodding, and said, "The lead Rider has many people important to him . . . you are one of them . . . I am here . . ." The man crouched then, and he drew a dagger faster than Arya had anticipated, "To kill you!" He dived forward then, dagger held tightly in hand.

Arya leaned to the side on instinct, dodging the blade, then kicked him hard in the back. The man groaned in pain as he fell forwards.

 _What does he think he is doing?_ Arya thought, stunned

It had been a long time since she had taken part in any fight, and she was truly out of practice, but that didn't mean her sense of logic and tactics in battle had left her. She still knew what to do and when to do it.

Arya aimed a punch at him, but the man rolled away, and sprung to his feet. Drawing the second dagger, he swiped at her. But Arya raised her hand and yelled, "Thrysta!" One of the daggers clinked and broke apart, as a wave of green light flew from Arya's left palm. The man stared at it in surprise.

"Magic? You can . . ." He stuttered, but Arya dived forward and punched him, breaking his nose.

"Bet you didn't see that coming!" Arya shouted. Around then, people watched, a little scared now at the display of magic.

The man fell back, then jumped up again, his face covered with blood and a furious look all across his face as well. He charged forward again, and kicked Arya in the stomach. Arya tried to move away, but he had been a lot faster than she had expected.

Arya doubled over and jumped back, trying to get away from the deadly clutches of the dagger. The dagger missed her by less than an inch. The man cursed and jumped forward at her. He grabbed her tightly, it would seem as if he was hugging her. Arya screamed in surprise, and lost her balance. They both fell to the ground, with the man over Arya. The man stretched skyward, the dagger held tightly in his raised hand. His other hand was on Arya's collar, forcing her down.

Arya choked, the man was a lot stronger than any average human. Grabbing the hand on her collar, she tried to push it away, then hurriedly knocked his other hand aside as it descended to stab her. Then she grabbed the hand on her collar with both her hands and tried to twist it. But before she could, the man yelled in pain, then flew away with a blast of blue flames.

"Arya! Arya, are you alright?" A very familiar voice said, and Arya hurriedly looked around to see Eragon running towards her. He had drawn Brisingr, and he had the same look of rage on his face. For a moment, she wondered if he had come after her in the same mood.

"Arya!" Eragon shouted at her, and she shook her head incoherently. She didn't even notice the crowd that had gathered around her while she had been wrestling with the assassin. Behind her, the man got up hurriedly from the place where he had fallen to, then turned and sprinted down the street, pushing people aside.

It wasn't until Eragon had grabbed her and pulled her to her feet, then into a gentle hug that she finally managed to speak, and what she did speak was quite unexpected.

"Eragon . . . . I am so sorry, I really am so sorry . . . .I shouldn't have said all that . . . you are not an irresponsible father, I just lost my patience, nothing else . . . please Eragon, I really made a terrible mistake, I know I-"

"Shush . . ." Eragon said, placing a finger on her lips. "Right now, we should be a little more concerned about who that man was and what he wanted . . ."

Arya jumped, she had nearly forgotten everything about the attack. Eragon let go of her and began to look around the street, but that man was nowhere to be seen, although there were some people who were staring at the two Riders, awestruck. Eragon stared at them, then raised his voice and asked, "Does anyone know where that man went?"

Most of them just looked at each other, then all of them pointed at the roof of the building to the right, just next to Eragon and Arya. Eragon looked up at it, then at the buildings to the side, then scowled heavily. The man had escaped.

"Who could it have been?" Arya asked him, walking closer to him, then sidling back into his embrace. Eragon rubbed his cheek against her forehead, his arm wrapped around her waist.

"Dunno . . . but he sure wasn't very good, I am sure you intimidated him even before he began attacking . . ." Eragon muttered, and got a small smile from Arya. "And about what you said earlier . . . well, I think both of us were right . . . and wrong at some point or the other . . . although, I shouldn't shouted at you either . . . I am sorry as well."

Arya stared up at him, a little surprised, then pressed her head against his chest as he pulled her closer.  
At the same time, the assassin ran away, fleeing from the two Riders. The female elf had been a lot stronger than him, he was extremely surprised about it as well, and now, he had failed his duty, was injured and had a broken nose.

 _Freohr is not going to be happy with this . . ._ He thought.


	46. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45: Magic Waters**

"Deaother, open the door!" Someone shouted from outside, and Deaother jumped out of bed. It was extremely early in the morning, and fro the light that came out of the window of the room it seemed as if the sun had just risen.

"Err . . . W-What?" He muttered, confused and drowsy, looking at the door, still under his blankets, and one of his eyes closed. Who was calling so early in the morning? He stifled a yawn, and was about to tell them to come back after a couple of hours.

"Deaother, open the door already!" A shout came even louder than before, and there were two bangs on his door, making him jump out of bed, stretch and yawn, but he stopped as there were several more bangs on the door.

"Huh? Oh . . . wait, I am coming . . ." Deaother replied and hurried to the door, his hair askew. He opened it, yawning loudly, to see Vaelia standing outside with an annoyed look on her face.

"How long do you sleep? I have been waiting for quite some time now." Vaelia told him, irritated. Her hair were untidy as well, as if she had just got up as well, and had been waiting for him to wake up and come to her room, but had finally decided to come to him instead.

"Sorry . . . I didn't realize what time it was . . ." Deaother muttered groggily, then rubbed his eyes. "But what's the hurry? Why are you up so early in the morning?"

Vaelia gave an frustrated sigh, then grabbed his arm and pulled him, leading him out. The almost fell forward, but Vaelia changed the direction and pulled him to the left next, making him run along with her. Her blinked several times, unable to understand how he had got into the situation. But it didn't take too long for him to return to his senses.  
"Vaelia!" Deaother exclaimed, as he was still in his night clothes. "At least let me change!"

"Sorry, we don't have time for it, there is something very important that I must tell you. But first, we must get somewhere quiet." Vaelia told him, and kept on leading him ahead.

"I need to wear my shoes!" Deaother pressed, although letting her pull him anyway. He wasn't wearing anything to cover his bare feet, although the feel of the soil on his soles was quite pleasant.

"No can do!" Vaelia replied. They passed several elves, all of whom stared at them with a smile, then turned away, Deaother raised his eyebrows at them, but Vaelia seemed to not notice.

 _What in the world is going on?_ Deaother thought. It had been a week since he and Vaelia had been attacked by those men, and in the week's time, Dathedr had called together a meeting of the entire council of elves, who had listened to every word the captured man had spoken.

Unfortunately, Lady Enaevia had been too ill to attend the meeting, and it had turned out that her presence had been the most vital one of all. That was what Vaelia had told Deaother, since he had not gone to the meeting.  
"Vaelia, this is looking really bad, at least just-"

"Shh!" Vaelia told him and pulled him ahead even , they were outside The Tialdari hall, and hurrying ahead. Deaother had no idea where Vaelia was taking him, but he was sure she had a good reason to do what she was doing. She held his arm tightly, her fingers thin yet strong. Deaother jogged after her, staring at the back of her head, watching her long and now curly hair, rise and fall from side to side as they passed the pines.

Soon, they stopped, deep in the forest, and they were both slightly out of breath. Vaelia stopped and turn around, locking her eyes with his, but she didn't let go of his hand, though Deaother didn't notice that immediately.

"Vaelia, what's all this about?" Deaother asked her, and flinched slightly as her fingers tightened around his hand even more. He stopped himself from snatching it away, or pushing her hand away with his own.

"Its . . .well, its about something that has been a curiosity of mine for some time now." Vaelia told him, while Deaother raised an eyebrow. She had never mentioned this before, and he wondered what it was.

"What's that?"

Vaelia looked around them again, then pointed at a tree several yards away, "At the base of that tree, there is an opening, a sort of tunnel that leads under the ground and into a huge cave . . ." Vaelia said and began walking towards the tree. Deaother followed her, now curious himself. He had never heard of elvish tunnels, and for moment he felt that even Eragon didn't know about it either.

"This cave was discovered just some decades ago. We found that there is a small underground lake there, and a part of it is separated, by a line of rocks . . . that portion of the lake, it . . . well, it has some fascinating properties." Vaelia explained, while Deaother listened, interested.

"Fascinating?" Deaother asked her.

"Yes . . . I mean, the liquid in that part of the lake doesn't always show reflection, like other lakes. Instead, if we wish to see, then it shows almost anything that we want. It can show us what the several possibilities of the future are, what the past was, and what is happening elsewhere." Vaelia told him as they reached the tree.

"You're joking, how can that be possible? Even if it was magic invoked by the elves then-"

"I am not joking Deaother . . ." Vaelia said, clearly exasperated. "Anyway, that's how it is . . ." Vaelia told him, and Deaother couldn't help but keep his eyebrows raised. What Vaelia had just told him was completely against everything he had learnt about seeing images and visions on a reflective surface, like scrying.

"Now, follow me, and carefully . . ." Vaelia instructed, and began to climb down into something that seemed like a hole at the base of the tree. Deaother jumped, he had not noticed any hole over there earlier, even after coming so close. The base of the tree was like a humped back, the land seemed to be poking out of the earth, and it was covered with long and thick grass, which made it more difficult to see anything down there.

Deaother squatted and waited until Vaelia had climbed inside completely, then he followed her reluctantly. He kept staring ahead, hoping he wouldn't bump into before he knew what was going on, he lost his grip and fell head forwards, going down. With yell, he groped around, everything had suddenly gone dark. But his chest touched the smooth wall. Slowly he realized that the wall was becoming less and less steep, until finally his entire body was sliding on it.

Deaother fell for a couple more seconds, until he realized that it wasn't a wall he was falling along, it was a long slide, and he was sliding down it now, and at a breakneck speed. Suddenly, the slide became completely flat, and he sped forwards on it swiftly, moving straight.

 _Vaelia! What have you got me into?_ Deaother thought, then the slide below him vanished suddenly, and he flew forwards, unable to stop himself.

Within a few seconds, he hit something hard, but he continued to move, this time faster. He realized that he was still on the same rock slide. He looked up, and saw that straight ahead there was a lake, but before he could see anything else, the slide below him vanished again, and he yelled as he fell forward, but this time he actually saw what he had been looking at. He was about fifty feet high in the air, and he was above a huge lake which stretched for dozens of meters in every direction.

"Vaelia!" Deaother shouted, though she was nowhere in sight. He fell ahead, the wind whistling in his ears, his hair whirling behind him. His insides churned, and his heart pounded harder than ever before. He felt as if it would soon rise to his throat and out if he continued to fall like this. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind that he hit the water, hard. Water splashed in every direction, and he fell deep. Unable to hold his breath, he hurriedly kicked his legs upward, until he was above the surface of the water.

Gasping, he looked around, and hurriedly began swimming towards side of the cave, trying to get out of the lake. Kicking his legs harder, and moving his hands faster, he swam for a moment until he reached the dry, rocky bed, onto which he clambered. Crawling and gasping, he moved head for a few seconds until he collapsed to the ground, unable to believe what had just happened.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw the ceiling off the lake, which had streaks of light, being reflected from somewhere. Drenched in water, he got up and began to look for Vaelia, whom he still couldn't see anywhere.

"Vaelia? Vaelia where are you?" Deaother called out, a little worried now. The cave was full of stalactites and stalagmites, though Deaother didn't pay much attention to them. Right now, he wanted to find Vaelia.

"Deaother? I am over here, hurry up!" A reply came from somewhere to the right.

"How did you get there?" Deaother asked her, surprised that she was replying so calmly after falling from so high, and into a lake which wasn't supposed to exist.

"I walked . . . oh right, you don't know that there is another way to get in here." Vaelia asked him, and he was sure he caught a hint of amusement in the tone of her voice, much to his growing frustration and annoyance.

"Oh, no I don't! I just fell down, and took a ride on that rock over there, then fell again, very hard, and swam my way here, and I am soaking wet!" Deaother, completely annoyed.

"Oh its quite alright, I was in the same condition when I first came here. It's only fitting that you should be as well, now come here fast!" Vaelia said, and Deaother hurriedly forward. Ahead of him, was a gentle slope full of sharp rocks, and pillars seemingly natural, which rose from the floor and reached up to the roof of the cave that was actually the land.  
Deaother climbed above the rocks slowly, trying to avoid sliding and falling as his boots were wet as well. It took a while, but he managed it, and then hurriedly searched for Vaelia. She was standing straight ahead, staring into the water which seemed to have accumulated there, cut off from the main body of the lake. Deaother's insides went slightly numb as he beheld where she was standing.

 _Is that the portion of the lake which . . . hold on . . . yes, that must be it. Deaother thought, his numbness washing away to be replaced by excitement and curiosity._ He hurried towards Vaelia. _I still find it hard to believe what she has said, how can the water there . . . . What in the name Galbatorix's beard is_ **that** _?_ Deaother jumped a foot in the air, goggling at what was lying ahead of Vaelia.

It was a massive skull, with long jaws, horrifying teeth and huge sockets for eyes. Deaother shivered as he stared at it, and he realized what it was. It was long, and huge, more than five times the size of Saphira's skull, and it was shining white.

 _It's the skull of a dragon . . .what is it doing here? . . . Blast! The rest of its body is here as well!_ Deaother thought, astounded as he saw the creature's rib cage, and spine, and also the thin bones of its wings.

"Vaelia! There's a-"

"Skeleton of a dragon, yes I know . . . that is the head of a dragon that died here in The Dragon Wars, many centuries ago . . . oh well, that's what most of us think." Vaelia said, a little impatient, then beckoned him to come closer, staring down at the waters.

Deaother, still amazed by the dragon's size, hurriedly walked ahead and joined her, standing next to her. Apprehension and excitement grew within him as he beheld the magical waters before him, expecting it show something unexpected. He was sorely disappointed. But the waters were certainly not normal, they had a tint of pink to them, which Deaother noticed after a few seconds. In the water before them, he saw the reflection of the cave, himself and Vaelia, who was seemed to be transfixed at what the water was showing. Deaother stared at it, then soon began to lose his patience. He nudged Vaelia on the shoulder, and she jumped high, seemingly coming out of her reverie.

"What?" Vaelia asked him, clearly angry.

"I don't see anything . . . different in these waters." Deaother told her, and he was sure an expression of extreme irritation crossed her face.

"Fine then, come and stand here . . ." She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards her roughly, then she moved away.  
Deaother stared at her first, confused at why she was behaving like this, then turned to the waters. He gasped.  
The water no more reflected the cave, or anything else nearby. It now showed tall pines and trees, and bushes here and there. Deaother stared at it, confused. This was Ellesmera, or some other part of the forest of Du Weldenvarden. He watched it for a while, until suddenly he saw two children running across the waters. They were elven, a boy and a girl, and were very young, perhaps just five or six years. They seemed to laughing and giggling merrily, until another elf, fully grown, stepped into the view.

Deaother couldn't help but gaze, transfixed, at the elf, his mouth hanging open, and his eyes extremely wide, unable to understand what he was saying, and he was awestruck . . .

To his immense surprise, and shock, he was staring at himself, his own future self, in the waters, now being hugged and kissed on each cheek by the two elvish children. Almost instantly, he realized that those might be his own children. He gazed even harder, and noted the similarity between his face and that of the children. But it was quite difficult for him to identify who their mother might be, although he could tell that both of their eyes and the boy's hair weren't like his. But he still couldn't recognize who their mother was, and kept watching, hoping that their mother, his future mate, would appear.

The children seem to be asking him something, and he replied with a gentle smile and a nod, then picked them both up and turned his back to the Deaother of the present, who was watching. Without realizing, Deaother began to crouch, his hand slowly stretching ahead, as if to reach forward and tap the Deaother in the waters, and ask him who his mate was. Or better, to slide through waters into the time beyond.

Then, he froze, because he saw her, his future mate, standing in front of his futures self, and picking up his son from his shoulder. Deaother stared hard at the waters, but he couldn't see his mate's face, as his future self was blocking the view.  
Desire leapt up within him suddenly, and he reached forward, without thinking, just wanting to touch the family, his family, his children, his mate, himself . . .

But before he could, someone else grabbed his hand, and at the same time, his mate-to-be grabbed his future self's hand. Deaother froze again, a thought crossing his mind. But then, the vision vanished in a ripple of minuscule waves on the water.

Deaother watched it slink away, a sudden horrible feeling of emptiness within him. But slowly, he turned around to look at Vaelia, who had a gentle smile on her face. Deaother was a little annoyed that she had stopped him then, but when he looked at her, in the eyes, all of his other thoughts were washed away. He felt elated all of a sudden, because just then, as he stared at her, he saw in her eyes that what he had always longed to see. There was a glint in her eye, and something else, something much more deeper than friendship and the companionship they shared. Something much more complex. For that fleeting moment, Deaother was sure that he had spotted affection in her eyes. But how?

 _No . . . it can't be, I am just imagining things . . ._ Deaother thought.

Deciding not to elaborate on the matter then, Deaother smiled back at her, and she let go of his arm. But in his heart of hearts, Deaother knew, whatever they felt for each other would have to wait for a while.

"How could those waters have that magic? I mean . . . is there any . . . " Deaother began to ask, but Vaelia turned to him, smiling. They were walking back to the Tialdari Hall, and Deaother was still drenched in water.

"Most of us believe that the dragon, whose skeleton we saw there, he or she was bleeding just before their death . . . well, its like this: The dragon was killed in the fighting that took place here, and he, or she, fell. You saw how huge its skeleton was . . . it probably caused all of the earth and mud to rise high when it fell, and then all the mud an uprooted trees fell over it. But for some reason, a cave was formed around the body of the dragon . . . as for the magic in the waters, I think that the dragon's blood fell into that lake and gave it the properties it has." Vaelia told him, and he nodded. But then, he remembered something that he had to tell her, something that had grieved him a lot when he had come to know of it.

"Vaelia . . . I have some sad news." Deaother said suddenly, deciding not to wait any longer. Vaelia seemed to be very happy about something, but she turned grave when Deaother said what he did.

"What is it?" Vaelia asked him, a little too earnestly. Deaother stopped himself from raising an eyebrow, instead he looked at the ground as they walked.

"I . . . I am leaving for Tierm later today, along with Everaun and Phiole . . . there is some kind of conference that my father is holding there, and he wants me to be present." Deaother told her, and suddenly, her walking slowed, her eyes drooping suddenly.

"You mean to say, you're going away? But for how long?" Vaelia asked him, and Deaother nearly jumped at how sad and loud her voice sounded.

"I can't say, perhaps a week . . ." Deaother told her, and he was sure that for a moment at least, a flash of sadness passed through her eyes, before she covered it up.

"Oh well, I hope you'll back soon then . . . It will be difficult to get used to you not coming to my house . . . every morning and us . . . us spending the time around here . . ." Vaelia told him, and she nearly seemed to be fumbling with her words.

Deaother smiled, "It will be a hard time for me as well . . ."  
Above them, the sun rose ever higher, coloring the world in green. Things were seemingly alright with Deaother, but in truth, that was not so.

While Deaother and Vaelia were strolling around Ellesmera, the king of elves stood straight, extremely tensed.  
In front of him was Lady Enaevia's attendant, and adviser. The elf was extremely thin and pale, his eyes seemed to be drooping out of weariness not usually seen among elves. It was apparent he hadn't rested in a long time, though what had kept him running about was a question for another time.

"Listen to what I say, and it is up to you to inform the people of Nadindel what I am going to tell you now." The king told the elf, who stood more attentively. "Nadindel is going to be attacked, this very week. I want you to inform all the soldiers and the Lady Enaevia about it, and fast. We don't have much time. Temporarily, I place you in charge for protecting the elves living in the city . . ." And the king continued to give instructions, and the elf listened earnestly, his heart sinking and dread beginning to enter him with every word.

The time of peace had finally gone.

The time for war . . . had come.


	47. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46: Together . . .**

 _"Eragon . . . listen to me . . ."_

 _There was darkness all around, but there were the sounds of footsteps walking fast. Eragon was walking briskly, trying to locate the source of the sound. He couldn't see anything, he was walking blindly wherever he thought the sound was coming from.  
"Where are you?" He said, squinting around._

 _"I am very close, although you can hear what I say, you will not be able to see me . . . I don't have enough strength to do that . . . I must tell you something important, so listen to me and listen properly." The same voice said._

 _"I am listening." Eragon replied, still squinting around, trying to locate the source of the sound. But, for some reason, he had begun to feel that the sound was coming from everywhere and nowhere, as if the place he was in was filled with it._

 _"I am sure you know that Alagaesia is in danger . . . and the threat is Crugan, who has been my enemy for centuries . . . but now, he has seemingly become too powerful for me to defeat . . . I cannot stop him Eragon, I need your help . . ."_

 _"Who are you?" Eragon asked him, a little frustrated that a total stranger was asking for his help. Although he didn't understand what this person was saying, he had problems of his own._

 _"I am . . . Eragon, Rider of Bid'daum . . . First of the line of Scion." The voice said, and Eragon nearly jumped back to consciousness._

 _"Eragon! You mean, my namesake?" Eragon asked him, incredulous._

 _"Aye . . . but that is not so important . . . you must give me your aid against Crugan, and as fast as possible, you must come here, to me." Eragon the First told him._

 _"Come to you? . . . Are you in Alalea?" Eragon asked him._

 _"Yes, I am, at the northeastern coast, in a city named Ellrion . . . The rest of the land is almost desolate right now, all our forces are here, within the walls of this huge city. I shall explain the rest when you arrive . . ."_

 _"But how long will it take for me to cross the sea? Months?" Eragon asked him._

 _"Of course not, Alalea is huge, even I haven't explored all of its regions, especially the Chialien Wild forests, but Ellrion is fairly close to Alagaesia, perhaps a voyage of two weeks, or three weeks at the most." The reply came. Eragon felt a little elated at the prospect of the homeland of the elves being so near._

 _"I shall see you there, Eragon . . ." Eragon told him, but there was no reply. Eragon looked around, searching for the voice, but he couldn't find it.  
But then, the darkness began to come closer and closer, until finally all of a sudden, it gave way to a world of light, colors and distinct shapes. _  
Eragon was awake, lying on his bed in his and Arya's quarters in Tierm, the dream still vivid in his mind. He stared up at the ceiling, wondering what the voice had actually said.

 _So . . . that was Eragon the First, he is the one who I've been hearing in my mind for this long . . . so . . . Alalea is just two weeks of sailing, he will be waiting for me at the city of Ellrion . . . great I suppose._ Eragon thought, then looked to the side. Arya was was in her trance, lying on the right side with her shoulder pointing towards the roof. Eragon stared at her, watching her breathe in and exhale gently.

 _Well . . . this might just as well please her . . ._ Eragon thought, and reached out to Saphira, only to find that she and Thorn were tackling each other ferociously, for some reason he could not fathom. He didn't distract her, and hurriedly returned to his own body.

Then, he reached forward and wrapped an arm around Arya's waist and pulled her towards him. She grumbled something, reluctant to get out of her trance, as was common among them. Eragon placed his head on top of hers, their cheeks brushing each others.

"Eragon . . . " She muttered faintly, her eyes still closed. " . . . Let me sleep." Eragon smiled and pulled her even closer, holding her tightly. Arya moaned and tried to free herself but she was too drowsy to get away. ". . . Please . . . let me go." Arya told him.

"Oh alright . . ." Eragon told her, and let go of her. He turned around and lay on his back, thinking about what his namesake had told him. Arya returned to him not a moment later, her arms wrapping around him.

Eragon hugged her, and kissed her on the cheek. Today was a very important day, and he had to be fresh and energetic. Today, Deaother was going to arrive with Everaun, and they were going to begin the preparations for the meeting of the dragon riders.

Eragon stood with his hand on the hilt of his sword, staring into the distance from the dragon hold of the city. Murtagh, Arya, Nasuada and all their dragons were there with him. They were waiting for the arrival of the dragon Riders, where the Riders would get down at the dragon hold, and the dragons would carry to the huge courtyard that had been cleared at Eragon's request. Eragon was smiling, a little happy that he was about to see his son after a long time.

 _You are quite pleased about something . . ._ Saphira told him.

 _That I am . . . by the end of the day, two things will have been achieved. One, I know where Eragon the First is and how to get-_

 _You what?! When did you find out and how-?_ Saphira asked him, astounded.

 _Listen, and all the Riders will be informed of the fact that the four of us: you, me, Arya and Valinor are leaving._ Eragon thought to her, and he was poked in the back by a spike on her tail.

 _But how do you know where to find Eragon the First?_ Saphira asked him.

 _He contacted me, somehow, in my dream. He . . . oh well, just see it already._ Eragon told her, and she hurriedly began skimming through his memories. After some minutes, her respond came, vividly pleased, _That's great Eragon! Simply fabulous! So, we will be travelling for . . . three weeks, and we'll get to Ellrion._ Saphira exclaimed joyfully. Eragon knew why she was happy, this wasn't going to be a journey of months as she had thought.

 _I have to tell Arya this, but I'll do that when Deaother comes . . . don't tell Thorn just yet, wait, I'll tell all of them when Deaother arrives._ Eragon told her.

 _Get ready then, because I think that's Phiole who's approaching._ Saphira said.

Eragon turned, looking towards the north east, where he surely could see the outline of the brown dragon approaching. He smiled, knowing that Deaother was coming to him.

 _He sure is . . . I wonder what Deaother will be like now? I mean, he has lived away from us for a while, he surely must have changed, especially after all those things that happened there . . ._ Eragon thought.

 _I wonder how he will feel, having to come here all of a sudden . . ._ Saphira said.

 _I wouldn't be surprised if he is angry, seeing the fact because of us he is away from Vaelia._ Eragon told her, and Saphira stared at him with her large sapphire eyes.

 _You really think he has feelings for her?_ Saphira asked him, and Eragon grinned.

 _Its just too obvious, I'd surprised if Dathedr hasn't realized that his daughter also likes Deaother._ Eragon answered.

Saphira sniffed. Then she turned around to see Thorn next to her, grinning. Eragon turned away from them, preferring to give them some time alone. Instead, he walked over to Murtagh and Nasuada, Arya joining him.

"Murtagh, I hope you're ready to rise to the next post . . ." Eragon told him, a glint in his eyes.

Murtagh gave him a skeptical look, "Eragon, I still say it's a bad idea, making me the Lead Rider. I don't even blasted know what a Lead Rider has to do all the time . . . Come on, think this through, I think Nasuada would be a much better candidate than-"

"Murtagh, stop right there!" Nasuada pointed, her finger raised threateningly. "It's you who has been chosen, and you who must carry out the responsibility."

"But I don't-"

"Listen brother, there's no need to make such a big fuss . . . Being a Lead Rider is a lot easier than being an elder, as you three are. A lot less responsibility, a lot less work, but a big reputation to maintain. That's all there is to it . . ." Eragon told him.

Murtagh raised his eyebrows and turned away, seemingly satisfied with what Eragon told him, but the Red Rider still had doubts. Eragon sighed, but turned around to look at Phiole's progress. With a slight jolt of excitement, he realized that the brown dragon was nearly looked at Arya to see her smiling widely, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They were going to see their son now, after such a long time.

But it was unfair that the family would be giving bad news to each other, but then again, there was nothing anyone of them could about it.

Deaother smiled and waved at his parents, letting go of Everaun for a moment. As soon as they were near enough, Phiole roared loudly, and dived towards the Elder and Arya waved back at him, both of them seemed quite happy to have him with them once more.

"Get ready Deaother!" Everaun shouted over the sound of the wind, just a couple of seconds before Phiole dived towards dragon hall. The wind rushed past him, his hair flying and cloak trailing in the wind behind him.

Phiole landed in the Dragon hall, grinning. Everaun and Deaother got down as the dragon lowered his neck. Everaun approached Eragon and the others, and began the formal greetings. After the appropriate replies, he stepped aside as Deaother walked forward and hugged Eragon roughly, squeezing him with inhuman strength. Eragon laughed and responded with even more power, knocking the air out of Deaother.

"Sparring with Vaelia seems to have made you stronger, my son." Eragon told him as they let go of each other.

"Father . . . well, I suppose you could say that. Sparring with Vaelia, her father, Blodhgarm, Worian and some other people . . ." Deaother muttered, and his voice shrank slowly as he said it.

Deaother was sure his father must have noticed the way his voice had faltered and the flash of unease in his eyes, but he hurriedly turned away and hugged his mother, who patted his cheek lightly.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if you beat all of them . . ." Arya muttered to him, while the other grinned.

Murtagh thumped him on the back, "I must say Deaother, you have changed a lot . . .wait a minute, what's that on your neck?"

Deaother jumped as Murtagh's finger traced a scar below his right ear, the reminder of his fight with those men."Oh nothing, I just-" Deaother began, but Arya hurriedly moved to the side and saw it for herself. Eragon and Nasuada stared at the scar from behind them.

"That's not any simple injury . . . that's a cut from a sword. Deaother, what happened to you?"Nasuada asked him, and Deaother jumped slightly.  
How did she recognize that? Deaother thought, and slowly turned around to find them all, even the dragons staring at him curiously.

"Err . . . wait . . . let me start from the beginning . . ." Deaother said and told them what had happened just a few days ago, him and Vaelia going to see the tallest pines, them being attacked by those men and him and Vaelia slaying most of them.

" . . . and only one of them is alive, whom we took to King Dathedr for questioning. I don't know what happened next, except that Dathedr had arranged a meeting of the council to discuss what to do, and the man had been taken to reveal everything he could to them." Deaother finished.

Arya stared at him, then said, "Well, don't you know how to heal a cut? I taught you much better than-"

"I didn't heal it." Deaother said simply, scratching his neck, where he had the cut.

A look of surprise came on her face, "Then who?"

" . . . . V-Vaelia did it." Deaother said, and he was sure that there would be smirks on the face of many people, so he hurriedly said, "Because I had to carry that man on my shoulders, and I couldn't do it myself so she . . . did it . . ." Deaother told them, and to his relief, no one seemed amused. In fact all of them seemed tensed, Eragon and Saphira most of all.

 _Something is not right here . . . there's something that they are not telling me._ Deaother thought, wondering what had happened to them all of a sudden. Just then Eragon came next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "This is bad news . . . very bad news . . ." Then he turned around and faced everyone else.

"Everaun, Phiole, would you kindly report to the reception hall, I have some men there who will register your name to ensure that you have come to the conference." Eragon told him and both of them nodded.

"Right away, ebrithil." Everaun told them, and climbed onto the dragon. Phiole turned around and ran towards the open side of the wall, from where he jumped out and unfurled his wings.

Eragon waited for a moment, then he began speaking again, "This not the only bad news that we are going to hear . . . I have something to add Deaother, and something that all of you should know." Deaother stared at his father, knowing somehow that he was not going to like what he was going to hear from his father.

Indeed, he didn't like what he heard in the least.

Vaelia sat in her room, alone, her arms folded and her head resting on the back of her couch. A faint trace of loneliness could be seen in her, a sort of state in which she knew she was going to stay that way for some more time. _I wish my head would stop hurting._ She thought. The day had been awfully boring and eventless for her, as had been the day before. She had just seen Deaother, Everaun and Phiole go off, with Deaother waving sadly at her, and after that all her cheer had evaporated, as if following after her most dear friend who was going away.

Sighing, she got up, then flexed her fingers. There really was nothing for to do at the moment, except sit down, perhaps read a book or anything else. Ever since Deaother had left, she didn't have any company. Kielle had disappeared, Vaelia didn't know where she was, her father was very busy with the council and he had asked her to stay in Ellesmera and not go anywhere outside, ever since she and Deaother had been attacked. She hated such moments of forced boredom, a problem which had no solution to it.

She looked around the room, trying to find something to do. There was nothing much there, just a single bed with green covers, a window next to it. On the other side was a chest of drawers. In the middle was a small table and three couches, and there was a door to the right. Rubbing her forehead, she looked around again. Suddenly she noticed a slate of clay, an empty one.

An idea immediately struck her, she hurried to the slate and picked it up and brought in the table. Placing it down, she sat down and set her head back, thinking about what she could make a fairth of. Ideas gradually came her as she remembered the various beautiful places and things she had seen, but none of them seemed appealing enough at the moment. So instead, she switched to people.

 _Mother perhaps?_ She thought, then discarded the idea. She had made a fairth of her once, and had showed it to her father, who had smiled sadly and placed it outside, after which he had told her that there was no point or logic in crying for the past. She had to move on. _Who else then? . . . Deaother? . . . No . . . Perhaps there is someone._ Vaelia thought.

She remembered the time, almost five years ago, when she had first discovered the magic waters and the tunnel that led to them. She remembered seeing herself in the waters, happy and joyful, spending time with her mother. The next day she had visited, she had seen her father there, talking to his own council of elves. But after a few days, she had seen something else, something different.

She had seen her family, of the future, her mate, her children along with herself. She had seen them all so vividly, and she still remembered what the image had been like. She smiled and closed her, letting the vision bloom in her mind. No sooner had the magic words left her, that the colors began to spread across the clay, bringing the picture from her mind to the slate. She stared at it, smiling, then picked it up. There he was, her mate holding their daughter in his hands, while she carried another baby in her hands. They seemed to be extremely happy, the girl was laughing merrily and was pulling her father's hair. The baby was asleep in her arms, and she was smiling at the girl.

Vaelia kept staring at the fairth, until she noticed something unusual. Her mate, she could see only one side of his face, which was also obscured because he was holding his head up and laughing. But she realized immediately that he had brown hair, something which she had not considered so important. She also realized another thing, the girl had pointed ears and hair short, curly and black, just like Vaelia herself, but the baby's ears were curved, not pointed. Also, his hair was black as well, but straight and longer than was usually seen among infants of his age.

She was perplexed by what she saw, and hurried to the chest of drawers, hoping to find another slate. She searched for a while, breathing heavily and swiftly, until she found it in the third drawer. She had spotted a connection, a slim one, but still a connection.

 _Deaother has brown hair . . .and my future mate has brown hair . . . I need to see what Deaother is like from the side and when he is laughing . . . what if they are the same?_ Vaelia thought, and for a while, the word 'same' repeated in her mind. She was unable to comprehend what she was feeling, except excitement and energy.

She hurried back to her couch, and tried to picture Deaother laughing when they had both climbed to that perch in the trees. It was quite difficult for her, excitement bubbling her every thought and breaking her concentration. But suddenly a thought came to her, one in a million thoughts she was experiencing.

 _Do I really want Deaother to be my mate?_ She thought. She remembered the time they had spent together, how much they enjoyed each other's company, or at least, she enjoyed his company. But did these things really imply that she wanted him as her mate. _I felt the same for Worian, and where did that leave me?_ She told herself, remembering the grief she had felt at the time. She had thought that she had loved Worian, but in fact, it had not been true in the least. Worian had not felt anything for her, and now she couldn't even find him anywhere.

And now, the process was repeating itself, she was beginning to like Deaother a lot, to the extent that she was considering making a fairth of him and nearly hoping to see him as her future mate. But was it truly what she wanted?

 _Perhaps, I should just forget about it and . . . no! I can't just forget everyone whom I have feelings for. Worian was a different person, but Deaother . . . he is loyal, faithful . . . he won't leave me like Worian did. And I . . . even if he does leave me, I will follow him wherever he goes, even if it may be to the ends of the world . . ._ Vaelia thought to herself, and suddenly jolted, realizing the direction in which the train of her thoughts were going.

If I . . . If . . . oh this is stupid! Vaelia told herself, trying to clear her thoughts. But no, it wasn't so easy. _Perhaps I do like him a lot . . . or maybe . . . I do love him, more than anyone . . . no, let's not get carried away!_ She stopped, and tried to calm her mind. _But . . . I think its plainly obvious that I do feel something for him . . . Otherwise I would have just discarded these thoughts and let it go._ Vaelia told herself, and a feeling of bliss came to her in her own self realization.

Perhaps she loved him, perhaps not, she would have ample time to work it out and decide. But Deaother, on the other hand, didn't have the luxury. Events were moving apace, and the greatest threat of Alagaesia was on the move, mercy a word out of its dictionary.

Waves marked the coming of ships, tunnels felt the stamping of boots, and the air moved with the flap of wings, beating incessantly.


	48. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47: Farewell and Death**

"Ebrithil, all the Riders have arrived. Shall I begin the conference?" Marian said.

"Of course, go and take your place, I'll be with you in moment." Eragon replied, and Marian nodded and left. They were in the Great hall of the castle, where all the dragons and their Riders were present. The huge hall, had been painted red, but had blue curtains having the sign of the Gedwëy Ignasia on them. Eragon was in a back room, along with Deaother. Everyone else was outside, waiting for their leader to come and begin the conference.

Deaother was standing in front of his father, silent. He had been quiet for the entire day, ever since Eragon had told him that he and Arya were leaving along with Saphira and Valinor. When asked, he would just reply in a line or two and end the conversation, immersed in his own thoughts. Eragon knew that he was a little angry that they were leaving, but there was nothing for it now.

"Son, there is something we need to talk about, and this is important." Eragon told him, and Deaother looked up.  
"Of course father." Deaother replied.

"So listen, I and your mother are going to be gone perhaps two months, maybe three, but that does not mean that we are not going to be in contact, do you understand?" Eragon asked him, and Deaother nodded.

At that moment, Deaother noticed that Eragon was wearing two rings, one of them, Aren, was on his third finger, and the other was on his index finger. The other ring was quite similar to Aren, except the fact that the gem on it wasn't exactly a sapphire. It was a greenish blue, as if a combination of an emerald and a sapphire. But that was a different matter.

"That's one thing." Eragon told him, then began to pace around, "Secondly, I want you to be very careful from now on. Your mother was attacked by an assassin, you and Vaelia were attacked by those men, someone obviously wants to harm our family. Whatever happens, make sure that you don't get into trouble, or go looking for it. Is that clear?" Eragon asked, and Deaother nodded again.

"Well then say something." Eragon told him irritably.

"Aye father." Deaother said in a quiet voice.

"Thirdly . . . how are things with Vaelia? Are the two of you getting-"

"Father!" Deaother exclaimed, surprise etched across his face.

"What? I am interested, you know," Eragon said. "One's son doesn't fall in love everyday."

"I am not in . . ." Deaother began to say, but stopped in mid sentence, unable to say anything. Eragon grinned. They were speaking in the Ancient Language.

"See? You are not even able to say it in this language, so it is painfully obvious that you are in love, my boy. Don't try to-"

"Father, there is a conference waiting for you out there, you better not delay it any longer!" Deaother said hurriedly, and grabbed Eragon by the shoulder. Deaother was almost three inches taller than Eragon, but not quite as strong. Eragon hit both his arms away, then grabbed his left hand and twisted it. In the next heartbeat, he tripped Deaother and pinned him to the ground. Deaother groaned.

"Lastly," Eragon said, smiling. "Be ready for anything, you never know when Alagaesia might be attacked . . . Deaother, this is very serious and not a joke . . . you are going to have to fight and kill people . . . you have to be vigilant, alright?"

"Alright, alright, you win!" Deaother exclaimed, and growled when Eragon twisted his hand further, "I understand, now let me go!"

Eragon let go of his son, laughing. Deaother stood up and stared at him, his well combed hair now askew.

"Arya won't be happy about that, but it doesn't matter . . . I'll see you later Deaother." Eragon told him. Deaother laughed lightly and walked out, brushing his hair.

"Deaother . . . one last thing . . ." Eragon said suddenly, and Deaother turned around, his eyebrows raised, "This . . ." Eragon told him, and pulled out Aren from his hand and gave it to Deaother.

Deaother stared at it in surprise, and looked up at Eragon, astonished, "Father? Why are you . . .?"

"This belonged to you grandfather, Deaother . . . it belonged to Brom . . . and now, I give it to you . . . this is our legacy, Deaother, and some day you must give to your own child . . . so that our line is never lost or forgotten . . . we are immortal, perhaps, Deaother, but anything can happen to us at any time. This is why, I think, as family, this is very important for us all . . . I entrust it to you . . . keep it safe." Eragon told him, closing his hand around Aren. "Keep it safe, and keep it close . . . it has much more to it than you think."

Deaother stared at the ring, his eyes wide, then smiled and hugged Eragon one last time, "I will father . . . I will."

Eragon nodded and let go, "Now, I must attend to the matter at hand . . . I'll see you in a few hours son." Deaother nodded back, then walked out of the room, away from the conference hall, from another door.

Eragon himself turned to the door behind him, which led to the conference, then took a deep breath.

 _Eragon, you better hurry._ Saphira said, and Eragon smiled.

 _Aye._

Eragon walked out of the door, and into the hall. All the Riders stood up when they saw him come, and there was silence everywhere in the room. The dragons also watched him attentively. Eragon smiled at them all as he reached the raised podium, in front of everyone present there. He recited a spell, and soon his voice had become quite loud, loud enough for everyone to hear him. Arya sat in the first row, along with Nasuada and Murtagh. Eragon inclined his head in their direction, then faced the remaining Riders properly.

"Good morning, my fellow Riders . . . I know most of you will be wondering why I had this conference convened so early, and why so unexpectedly. I will explain each and everything to you, right now. "

Eragon placed his hands on both sides of the podium, and bent forward a little, staring at them all.

"Many centuries ago, another Lead Rider walked this Earth, of the same name as mine. You've all studied about him, and all his successors, but now, there is something that all of you should know . . . Before Galbatorix came up, all the Lead Riders, other than me, were alive, and all of them were busy in their own work. Once Galbatorix defeated Vrael, things changed . . . But even before Galbatorix, our land has suffered a worse threat, one that destroyed Alagaesia for good . . . It was from a shade . . . his name was . . . Crugan, or as he calls himself now, Burthr Abr Andlat. Oh yes, he is still alive." Eragon said, seeing confusion on most faces.

"Now, this Crugan, he waged a long war and bloody war against the Riders . . . how come you do not know of it? Because this war was never recorded in the history most of us have studied. After Galbatorix's conquest, there were only two people in Alagaesia who knew about this war . . . Galbatorix himself, and another person . . . Heslant, the writer of Domia abr Wyrda." Eragon paused, and smiled as surprise passed several faces as well. A dragon snorted.

"Oh well, that's done for now, but a more serious issue arises . . . Crugan had lost the war then, and he had fled, with Eragon the First and Anurin hard on his tail. No one knew what happened of them after that, but now . . . we do know something. Firstly, Crugan is still alive and still very dangerous, even more so now. Eragon the First is also alive . . . but Anurin and Garjzla are dead, I think some of you may know this . . ." Eragon stopped again, as a few Riders, including Everaun, nodded their heads.

"And now the most important thing that I need to tell you all . . . our land is in danger, each and every inch of it." Eragon said and more confusion appeared on the faces of the Riders. "Our land is in the danger to complete annihilation from the very person who fled our land centuries ago . . . Aye, I am talking about Crugan. He is bent on destroying Alagaesia, and he will stop at nothing to get it. Even now, he might have already have made plans to invade Alagaesia . . . but right now, he is not here. Right now, he is in some other land, and I know exactly where . . . "

Some people stirred among the crowd, others shifted uneasily. But on every face, Eragon could see curiosity. "He is in . . . Alalea, and so is Eragon the First . . . and I intend to take him down before he reaches here, or at least, hinder his way. But, first of all, he is not alone. He has other Shades with him, most of them are quite strong . . .Which is why I need you all to be alert and careful, everyone of you has a responsibility now, larger than any other that you've ever had . . . From today onwards, the protection of Alagaesia is not just the responsibility of the monarchs and their soldiers, it is our responsibility as well! And we will fight for it! What say you all? Will we fight for it?" Eragon shouted at them all.

All of them stood up in a flash, roused by his speech, and yelled together, "We will, Ebrithil!"

Eragon nodded at them, and signaled them to sit down again, "There is one last thing . . . I said I intend to stop him before he reaches Alagaesia . . . and to do that, I will have to go after him . . . so . . . well, I am leaving for Alalea tomorrow morning."

There were gasps of surprise from many people, and many awkward glances at Eragon, who was unperturbed, "I know what most of you might be thinking, but this is a necessary sacrifice . . . and for this journey, I will need two more dragons and their Riders by my side . . .who is willing to come?" Eragon asked.

He didn't have to wait more than a second, several hands were already up, but Eragon knew who had raised their hands first.  
"Well . . . Rider Sianelle, and Dragon Jrake . . . and Rider Jeffron, and Dragon Bindroen . . . I would be glad to have you both on my side." Eragon smiled as both the Riders stood up, beaming.

"Well, while all of us are away, Murtagh will take my place as the Lead Rider, since he is the senior most of the remaining Riders . . . and he ascends to this post from today onwards . . . May the stars watch over you all." Eragon finished and stepped down from the podium.

Night came early to Du Weldenvarden, and someone was glad about it alright. Wind blew through the trees, its sound expressing the melancholy that was soon to be felt and seen.

Zar'rac stood with a cloak across his shoulder, He had one night to conquer an entire city, and he was going to do conquer it, no matter what.  
Behind stood a huge army of men and Ra'zac, each and everyone of them had drawn their weapons, but they were going to wait for his signal, which would from inside the city.

"No one moves until you get my signal, and after that, without waiting, all of you will charge as fast as possible towards the city, and none of you is going to show any mercy to anyone, is that clear?" Zar'rac shouted at them. Their silence was a yes, and so he turned and briskly walked ahead, towards the city.

He was cloaked, and he had his favorite weapons with him, daggers. He loved them, and he was most adept at using them. He had twenty of them with him at that moment, on his belt, shoulders, knees, ankles, even elbows. They were all, of course, hidden beneath his the beginning, he had always preferred slaying his enemies without exactly indulging them in a duel. If one stroke was enough to end the fight, he would prefer to take that stroke, instead of trading blows with his enemies. Of course, that didn't make things easy for him.

He walked slowly now, as he heard the voices of elves talking to each other, speaking something he probably wasn't interested in. He pulled his hooded up, and stared at the direction from which the sound was coming, then slid his hands inside his cloak to his belt. After a few moments, he quietly crept closer. Four elves were talking, each of them having a bow in their hands, and quivers on their backs. Zar'rac waited in the dark bushes for a while, the elves didn't even look at his direction, immersed in their own conversation.

They were fair haired, and their voices merry. But Zar'rac didn't have any sympathy for those whom he considered enemies. _This is how it begins . . ._ Zar'rac thought, then jumped out and swung both his arms out. The daggers clutched in his hands slid out of the belt, and he let go of them. They whistled ahead, and pierced the necks of two elves, who fell to the ground with soft chokes.

Their companions yelled in surprise and looked around, but Zar'rac was already onto them. He dived at another elf, dagger in hand, and pushed him to the ground. Then, he stabbed him through the heart, the shade killed him in just a few heart beats. An arrow whistled towards him, and he bent to the side, dodging the bolt. Then he jumped up and threw another dagger, which caught the elf in the head, killing him.

Zar'rac smiled. It had been cleanly done, without anyone going on alert. Stooping, he pulled one of the daggers out of the corpses, and in the direction of his army. That was his signal, for them to charge. The battle against Nadindel had around, elves began to wake up from their trances, as their keen ears heard the trampling of thousands of boots on the ground, and the horrifying sounds of the Ra'zac.

The attack had begun, and almost immediately, the elves had realized that the invaders were charging towards them. In no time, the elven guards and soldiers arrived and stood in a long lines in the eastern side of the city, acting as barriers against the charging Ra'zac and men. Meanwhile, the remaining elves ran from their homes and headed towards the centre, where the fortified citadel was situated. The citadel in fact, had huge pine trees which had several tree houses in it, and could probably hold all the elves in the city.

Soon, cries were heard from the east, as the Ra'zac collided with the elves. An age of peace had finally been ended, and war had returned to Alagaesia once more.

Worian got up from bed, almost shocked out of his trance by the sounds of battle. He looked around his small room, searching for his sword. He found it on the table next to the wall. He belted it on and hurried outside, sure that something was amiss. Outside was complete chaos. Elves were running towards the citadel, where Lady Enaevia was present. Worian felt trepidation grow in him as he saw the horrified faces of the elves. Something was horribly wrong that night.

"It's the Ra'zac! We're under attack! Flee! Flee for your lives!" An elven woman was yelling. Worian heard her, and he himself stood, stunned for a while, unable to believe this was actually happening. He looked to the right, where the crowd was thinner, and saw elves in armor fending off creatures quite horrible to behold. They were all convoluted, wearing weird shapes of armor, which was glinting in the moonlight.

 _What in the world . . . I have to get out of here, fast!_ Worian thought, fear making his body tremor as he realised what had been launched at the city. He turned around and sprinted towards the citadel, along with all the other elves. They had to get to safety, and that meant fleeing the city and heading for some other place. Swords clashed against each other, and the Ra'zac screeched in fury as the elves stopped their charge and held on, unwilling to fall.

Worian looked back again, and saw a cloaked figure take down two elves by just raising its hands. Fear entered his mind, and he ran faster, pushing past elves. Most of the elves were weaponless, and didn't stand a chance against their armored opponents. Thus, if they were to fight, they had only one option: To reach the citadel, to get armed, and to fight the invaders back.

The battle for Nadindel had begun, and at the same time, far away, the Lead Rider prepared for his long voyage. Fate had suddenly placed Alagaesia in the worst situations. Now the world would see if this land could save itself while it was bereft of its greatest defenders.


	49. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48: Rising Sun**

Eragon belted on Brisingr, while Arya pulled a cloak around her, and pulled her hood up. In front of them was the balcony of their quarters, and further ahead the waves crashed against ports and pulled back.

They were leaving in an hour, and just finished saying their good-byes to Deaother, Murtagh and Nasuada. It had been decided that they would not accompany Eragon and Arya to their ship, because Eragon felt it would be better for all of them.

Saphira lying next to Thorn, while the red dragon covered her in his wing. Valinor was already nudging Draumr, telling her that it was time.

"I wish we wouldn't have to go away like this . . . I wish we could stay." Eragon muttered suddenly, watching Saphira as she stood and licked Thorn sadly. Eragon could sense her sadness, and he knew how difficult it was for them to be parted.

"I didn't think you would have second thoughts . . . but it's too late for that now, isn't it?" Arya asked him, while Eragon pulled on his own cloak.  
"It is . . . I suppose there is nothing for it now . . . I decided to do this, so I am going to see this through . . . I mean, we are going to see this through." Eragon said hurriedly and Saphira threw him an angry look.

"That we are, so let's go. Best not delay this anymore." Arya said suddenly, then grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door.

"Arm yourselves!" A cry went out.

The elves of Nadindel had gathered inside the citadel, while Zar'rac's forces lay siege to them from outside. About a third of the city's elves had been killed in the initial assault, and now, all the remaining people had been given weapons, armor and they were ready to battle. Most of these elves were unhurt, although shaken.

Among them was Worian. The previous night had been one of the worst of his life. All he had been able to do was run, run away from those horrible Ra'zac, even though his blood boiled with rage as he saw them killing his people. He had wished nothing more to turn around and run at them, and to severe their necks with his sword. But then, he had returned to his senses, and had realized that he would hardly stand a chance against them in the condition he had been.

But the worst had passed, and now, he knew that he would be as capable of killing at least a dozen of them as he would be capable to running a hundred miles. He was wearing a simple leather armor, relying more on speed and agility than brute strength. But he had metal plated gauntlets, bracers and greaves to protect his hands and legs. They would be useful even if he lost his sword in the battle that was going to come.

"Elves of Nadindel, hear me well!" An elf shouted. They were all in the entrance courtyard, in front of the gates of the citadel.  
The courtyard behind him was large alright, and it narrowed down to a small road, on either sides of which were two huge pines, which actually were apartments. And so on the road led, deeper. The sides of the courtyard were protected by a dozen feet high walls of stone, which the elves had made themselves many centuries ago.

"Right now, when I open this gate, we charge to battle, the first one in a hundred years of peace! But when you fight, remember, this is the beginning of another war, and we are the ones who are trying to defend our own homes, our own people . . . our lady Enaevia lies bedridden. She has a seemingly incurable illness . . . although she may not be with us in this battle, we are going to fight, for Alagaesia! If we fall, these . . . monsters will charge to every other elf city in our land. We cannot let that happen! We must stop them here . . . so are you all with me?" He yelled the last few words, and the elves cheered and yelled in reply.

"Then let us show them what we mean!" The elf shouted, waving his hands. The gate opened and the elves marched, their armor glinting in the moonlight.

"The sun has not risen yet . . . oh well, at least we can leave in the cloak of darkness." Arya muttered.

Eragon nodded, looking at the were five ships there, all of them large. Four of them were equal in size, but the fifth one was truly huge, large enough to hold a dragon, which was exactly why it had been built. Eragon stared at the huge ship, and then turned to Saphira and Valinor, who were admiring the ships.

"Why so quiet?" Arya asked him.

"I . . . no, nothing. Let's just meet up with the commanders." Eragon said and hurried ahead, while Arya gave him a skeptical were on the shore, and all the elves, men, dwarves and Urgals that Eragon had requested were present the four ships. They commanders were waiting for Eragon and Arya on the shore, along with five boats. There was mist all around, making it difficult for most people to see, but it didn't hinder Eragon and Arya as much as the others, blessed as they were with keen eyes.

Eragon walked ahead, seeing four figures ahead. Arya followed, while Saphira and Valinor took off, flying towards the oceans. Saphira had been quiet all day, ever since she had been parted from Thorn, but Eragon didn't notice any anger in her. In fact, he hardly noticed anything in her at all, which made him feel that she had cut off most of their connection. Why? He didn't know.

He reached the waters, and the boats placed there. In front of them stood the four commanders. An elf, a man, a dwarf and an urgal. The elf spotted them first, and he twisted his hand over his sternum and bowed, saying, "Atra esterni ono thelduin."

"Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr" Eragon and Arya replied.

"Un du evarínya ono varda" The elf finished, smiling at them and nodding slightly.

"Oh, good morning sir!" The man said, jumping slightly as he noticed Eragon appearing from the mist.

"Good morning, my good man." Eragon replied, pulling his hood down.

"Ah, there you are. Well met, Riders." The dwarf said. Eragon nodded.

"Well met indeed." The urgal said in a deep voice and thick accent.

"I take it that all your forces are ready to depart?" Eragon asked them. Behind him, Arya pulled her hood down. The man's eyes widened as he spotted her. Eragon noticed it, but didn't say much. He was used to men staring at Arya like that and, it seemed, so was Arya.

"Aye Rider, they are." The Urgal said.

"And your names are?" Eragon asked, turning to the man.

The man didn't reply for a while, until he came out of his reverie and said, "Captain Jhonas, sir, of Carvahall." He was wearing plated armor and had a helm in his hand. A sword was belted to his hip, and he had a kite shaped shield on his back. His hair was brown and quite short.

 _Orothrim seems to have sent one of his best._ Eragon thought.

Eragon nodded and turned to the elf, "Threandor, of the house of Heridor." The elf was wearing a simple green tunic and black leggings, and he had a dagger on his belt, a quiver and a dark bow on his back. His hair was black.

"I'd be Ghrion, of the Durgrimst Feldunost." The dwarf said. He, was wearing chain mail under a leather jacket and covering. He had a knife on his belt and an axe on his back.

"I am Zarkhroff, of the northern tribes." The urgal said, a huge mace on his waist, along with a sling. He wasn't wearing any armor, his chest was bare, and was wearing dark leather leggings.

"Best not to delay any further, my friends . . . let us board the ships. I shall explain the entire situation to you once we are out at sea." Eragon said.

Worian walked forward, along with all the other elves of the city. Rage brunt in him, fueled his body with insuppressible strength. Last night had brought about a great change in him. He had changed a lot when he had seen an elf lying just outside the gate with his legs missing, one of the Ra'zac holding an elven lady, and slicing her throat apart right in front of them, which was one of the greatest insults to the elves and a clear challenge.

He had realized then, that the Ra'zac were truly evil, not worthy of existence, not worthy of mercy. They weren't even worthy of life. And now, he was going to let out all his anger, and he was going to kill as many of them as he could. They had planned the fight as well as was possible in the time they had, and the final decision had been: They had to kill each and every Ra'zac out there, and if possible, had to target the cloaked figure, which was probably their leader.

And, as Worian finally came out of the citadel, he saw the army ahead of them. They were five lines of Ra'zac there. But the only problem was, the Ra'zac weren't just in front of them. Worian cursed, the Ra'zac had surrounded them from every direction.

 _This is not going to be easy._ Worian thought, but there was no turning back now.

Eragon stood at the deck of the ship, Arya right next to him.

"Here we are . . . we are finally leaving." Eragon said, staring at Tierm. At the top of the castle, he could see three dragons, red, purple and green in colour, and he knew that their Riders were atop them, watching him. Suddenly, a brown and silver dragon appeared from the side. Eragon smiled, they were the dragons and Riders who were supposed to accompany them to Alalea.

The brown dragon was Jrake, and his Rider was Sianelle, and the silver one was Bindroen, whose Rider was Jeffron. Sianelle was a human lady, and Jeffron was a male elf. The dragons flew very close to the ship, and the Riders jumped off. Saphira and Valinor were already diving into the water, and they were followed by Jrake and Biennale.

The elves stopped their march, while their leader, Herolder, walked towards the Ra'zac army to meet its leader. Worian watched, he had managed to get to the third line of the army, and was staring at the elf. Herolder was quite a strong figure in the city, powerful in magic, skilled in combat, and good with his words. He was the Lady's personal adviser on each and every issue, and thus, in her absence, he was the sole leader of the city. Although, it seemed that he himself had not realised what the reason's for Enaevia's illness could have been.

Herolder stood in between both the armies, while a cloaked figure walked up to him. The figure's hood was pulled up, but Worian recognized him. He had seen him in the previous night as well, killing and fighting.

"Ah! Elf," The figure began, speaking in the common language. "You seem to have rallied most of the city dwellers together . . . quite an impressive feat, I must say. But equally useless, seeing the fact that you've no chance of winning against us . . . so I'll make an offer to you, quite generous I think . . . join us, and I will not-"

"I appreciate the offer, whatever it may be, but I'll just tell you one thing." Herolder interrupted, taking a step back, his hand on his sword. "We elves care not for your endeavours, but for our people, for our land and allies . . . and we will fight for them . . . that is all you must know."

The elves shouted their agreement at Herolder's words, while the elf himself smiled. The cloaked figure let out a sigh, then said, "A pity, I-"

"Charge!" Herolder yelled abruptly, and the first line of the army sprinted forwards, their spears held ready. Herolder himself drew his sword and attacked the person, who ducked away. Worian didn't see what happened next as the elves before him ran as well. He followed suit, drawing his sword. At the same time, there were numerous clicks, and the Ra'zac all around them charged as well, drawing their curved swords.

The armies collided, and the battle began. Worian immediately threw himself at the first Ra'zac he saw. Swinging his sword in a huge arc, he smacked it onto the creature's scimitar, knocking it aside. Then, he grabbed it by the shoulder and pulled it into a hug, piercing the sword into it's stopping, he turned around, just in time to see a mace coming towards him. He blocked it and kicked the Ra'zac in the leg, making it trip. He then pierced the creature through the heart. Pulling his sword out, he looked back and ran at another one, his sword raised.

Both the armies were now intermixed, elf fighting either a Ra'zac or a man. Worian parried a blow from a maul, and ducked under a spiked mace as it came for his head. Getting to his feet, he turned around and kicked the Ra'zac in the stomach. He blocked another blow from the maul, then jumped back and yelled, "Kveykva!"

Lightning burst from his palm and struck the Ra'zac in the chest, killing him. But suddenly, something happened, something that Worian had not anticipated in the least. His ears vibrated in pain, as did the rest of his body. Suddenly, the air was filled with the worst sound that he had heard only once before, and he dearly wished that he had not heard it now.

All the elves covered their ears in pain, rendering them completely defenseless to the Ra' overhead, several figures came, blocking the light from the moon. Worian looked up, hoping against hope that what he thought was not true. But it was.

The Lethrblaka had come to aid the Ra'zac in battle.

Even as the elves watched, they descended towards them, diving to kill. Worian felt his heart sink and his courage drown in fear as watched for a while, and suddenly he returned to his senses, just to see a Ra'zac trying to behead him with a clean strike. Worian swore and blocked the sword, then kicked him in the stomach and replied by slicing its beak off. But it seemed that the Ra'zac had managed to distract him long enough. A Lethrblaka landed a few yards behind him, and he turned around to see it shrieking at him.

Worian was stunned, not knowing what to do. He had no knowledge of fighting huge winged beasts, he had only heard of such warriors in tales, and knew that Deaother's father was one of them, but Worian himself sure wasn't one. The Lethrblaka swiped at a couple of elves, throwing them away, then flaked its wings and smashed its tail on the ground, then it swung the tail around.

All Worian could do was watch as the tail neared him, and he was completely powerless to stop it. He tried to duck, but the tail was huge. It hit his side, very hard, and sent him flying towards the right. He hit a tree, headfirst, and fell to the ground, unconscious, seemingly dead.

Behind him, the elves continued their battle against the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka, knowing that they would not win, knowing that they would fall.

The five ships finally set off from Tierm, four dragons swimming alongside them. The Lead Rider had left Alagaesia, just as the war on his homeland had begun. Would he realize his mistake, costly as it was, and return home in time? Or would he be killed along with his men, by the mysteries that waited past the oceans?

For now, only time would tell.

The Sun rose over Alagaesia, marking the beginning of a new day, and the end of the old peace.


	50. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49: Troubled times**

Deaother stood at the top of the castle in the city of Tierm, watching his parents go away in their ship. His mind was filled with emptiness then, sorrow of his loss and anguish of the fact that he was deprived of them. He had longed, for many years, to go away and live on his own, but he didn't want them to leave him just like this. His parents, his figures of support, the pillars that held him straight, had left him, and now, bereft, he was on his own. He would have to stand on his own feet.

Murtagh and Nasuada stood next to him, Nasuada had a hand around his shoulder. He turned to her, a tear in his eye, and his aunt smiled at him, her almond eyes sad as well.

"Its fine Deaother . . . they are coming back." Nasuada said, and Deaother nodded. She seemed to have read his mind, and he wouldn't be surprised if she had. He had let down his mental defenses completely.

As the sun rose behind him, Murtagh came next to him, "Well . . . There goes Alagaesia's hero, off to save some other land, fight someone else . . . So Deaother, what are your plans now?" Murtagh asked, and Deaother turned to him.

"I . . . well, I want to return to Ellesmera. I think it'll be better for me if I am there." Deaother told him.

Murtagh nodded, "I know, you'll be closer to Vaelia, you don't-"

"Murtagh!" Deaother exclaimed, stunned, "What, in the name of Galbatorix's hairy-"

"Now that's my nephew, cursing Galbatorix straight forwardly . . . I like it!" Murtagh said, laughing at Deaother's flabbergasted look.

"Look, enough with the teasing with Vaelia, why-"

Nasuada interrupted him, "Deaother, we know what you feel for her, and what you have been feeling for so many years . . . you are too patient, and too caring . . . but, I think you shouldn't wait anymore . . . I think you should try and win her hand as a mate . . . you'll be much happier that way."

Deaother stared at her, for a moment unable to believe he was discussing this with his uncle and aunt, then said, "But what if . . . what if she doesn't want me? Or like me? What if she likes someone else?"

Nasuada stared at him, then sighed and turned away, "Well . . . that's a completely different and complicated matter then."

Murtagh spoke suddenly, "Can you think of anyone who she might like?"

Deaother turned to him, eyebrows raised, "No . . . I don't . . . but she did like someone a lot, an elf called Worian. He is in Nadindel now, that's all I know though, I don;t know what he planned to do there . . . Oh yeah, he loved her a lot as well."

Murtagh grinned and said, "This will be useful for you, I asked myself this almost a thousand times when I had been Galbatorix's captive, it had been Thorn's suggestion. I remember asking myself this so many times, it would usually be the thing I thought about before falling asleep or . . ." Murtagh smiled and Nasuada came next to him, and rubbed his cheek with her hand before sliding into his embrace.

"I would think the same thing before I slept, and even on waking up . . ." Nasuada said.

"So I guess we were on the same boat." Murtagh grinned.

"I . . . can see that." Deaother muttered under his breath. _Are they behaving like these just to distract me from my parent's departure? . . . Perhaps they are._ Deaother thought to himself, then turned to Thorn and Draumr, who were still staring at the ocean.

Deaother turned around as well, and stared hard at it, and he saw the five ships as tiny pinpricks on the surface of the water, moving away rapidly as the wind began to blow faster. Deaother sighed and rubbed his hand on Thorn's neck, feeling that the dragons felt just as bereft as he did.

Vaelia was lying on her bed, watching the sunlight stream in through her window. It was dawn. She almost expected to hear Deaother's voice calling her from outside, telling her that he had called her out as soon as the sun had broken out. She smiled then, but her smile vanished when she realized that there was no Deaother to call her. He still hadn't returned from Tierm, and it was the third day. Another day without him would be extremely difficult for Vaelia, and she knew it. But why?

 _Why? Why can't I enjoy myself, or get immersed into other things, without him? Why can't I mingle with the other elves when he is not around?_ Vaelia asked herself again. She had been asking herself much the same thing for the last two first, she had no answer, and no one had replied to her question from within her, but yesterday, somehow she had realized why she missed him so much, and why she needed him to be with her.

 _Because I love him . . ._ The answer came to her, straight and direct. But after a few moments, doubt and resistance began to gnaw at her thoughts as well. _No! I . . . I can't love him, not anyone . . . not again . . ._ She thought back, although a little sad herself.

 _But Deaother is not like Worian . . . Deaother won't leave me . . . He will stay with me as long as he has to._ A part of her said.

 _What if he keeps on leaving me, like he left me now_? Vaelia asked, confused. _If you become his mate, he will take you with him wherever he goes . . . He will love you as well, don't you want that_? The dormant part said.

Vaelia's heart leapt at the prospect of having someone, especially Deaother, love her like she imagined. But was he the person for her? She had always imagined when she had been younger, that her mate would be fair haired, bright eyed, her height and very strong and powerful. While Deaother was very strong and powerful, he wasn't fair haired, and was taller than her, although his eyes did glint most of the time when she looked at them. _I suppose . . . I do want him to love me . . . but . . ._

 _There is no need to hide it from yourself then. There is only one reason for you to feel this way, and that is because you love him . . . admit it._ A part of her said forcefully, and Vaelia knew that she had lost the argument with herself.

 _Yes . . .I-I do love him . . . I really do love him!_ Vaelia thought and smiled. But now, all that remained was her to tell him this. Vaelia wasn't the type to keep her true feelings hidden from people who should know them.

Worian groaned in pain, the back of his head aching. His entire body was paining at the moment, although he was still lying where he had fallen some hours ago. His surroundings were illuminated by sunlight, and it was quite everywhere. He couldn't hear anything, except the rustle of leaves with the wind. Something was definitely wrong.

 _What happened here . . . that battle . . . who won?_ Worian wondered, and spotted his sword lying on the ground. He picked it up, and sheathed it, then looked around. He had fallen unconscious when the Lethrblaka had hit him, and, as he looked down at his chest, he saw a long wound from the right hand side of his stomach to his left shoulder. It wasn't exactly bleeding, his armor had taken most of the damage, but the entire part was paining quite a lot. His leather armor had been torn off in that region.

 _Where . . . oh no . . . no . . ._ Worian thought. Ahead of him lay hundreds of corpses of elves, Ra'zac and men, but among them he spotted the red robed body of Herolder, the one who had led them into battle. Two daggers were poking out of his back, both of the same crude, simple but deadly design. The daggers were curved, three spans in length, had no cross-guard. Their hilt was made of iron, covered with leather. These daggers were meant for throwing and killing silently, and were an ultimate weapon in the hands of a mater.

 _So . . . we lost the battle . . . but then . . . Lady Enaevia!_ Worian nearly jumped and hurriedly looked for the way which led to the citadel. It was nearby, and the gates were open, although there was no one outside. Worian crept towards it, extremely silent, and stopped just outside the gates, hiding and peering from the edge of the wall. At first he didn't see anyone, then he heard voices. He listened for a while more, until he recognized one of the voices.

 _Its lady Enaevia . . . she is alive?_ Worian thought, astonished. He stared for some more time, and saw three Ra'zac and three men appear, followed by the very person who Worian had wished for to not be there. The cloaked figure was there, and lady Enaevia was with him. Surprisingly, she didn't seem to be ill at all. In fact, she seemed to be quite healthy and energetic, and was talking to the cloaked person with dignity. Worian waited but he couldn't hear what they were saying, so he hurriedly cast a spell that would let him hear their conversation.

" . . . . has been taken, we thank you for your help, Lady." The cloaked figure was saying, his voice raspy and barely more than a whisper.  
What? She helped them? Worian thought.

"I just want to have my revenge on the Lead Rider for my daughter's death . . . I have waited a hundred years for it, and I don't want to be disappointed now . . ." Lady Enaevia said.

 _What? . . . What! She betrayed us? . . ._ Worian was stunned, unable to believe it. The lady of the city, one who had sworn the best for her people, had betrayed them. But how could she? How could she break her promise?

"Lady, I suppose our ways part now . . . you may remain with the Ra'zac and my men for now, and I shall call for you once we have the Lead Rider in our grasp. I am sure my master will be pleased to hear this, and that he will reward you handsomely for your efforts . . ." The cloaked figure said.

"That will be acceptable, but I hope that you ensured there are no survivors . . . I can continue to act as a spy, but if anyone hears this conversation-"

"Fear not Lady, we are sure." The person interrupted.

Worian had heard enough. Removing the spell, he turned around and hurried towards the forest, heading west. He had to get to Ellesmera as fast as he could, and he had to warn the king about this betrayal and capture.

 _Alagaesia really isn't safe anymore . . ._ Worian thought.

Several days had passed, but Deaother had still not returned. It had been well over a week now, and Vaelia's patience was beginning to grow thin. _Just where in the world are you, Deaother? When are you going to return?_ Vaelia thought. Loneliness had been her only feeling for the past several days, and she sorely wished that it had not been so. She wished Deaother were with her, and that they would spend the time together, wondering the forest.

Kielle had returned, and it turned out that she had had to go on an urgent errand to Osilon. Vaelia had been a little happy about her return, at least she had some company now, but it was short lived. Kielle had left three days later for Ceris, although Vaelia didn't know why. I wish I could contact him . . . Vaelia thought, still wondering about Deaother.

A week had passed since she had confessed her feelings to herself, and now, she only wished to see him and tell him that she loved him. But that was something she had to wait for, and she hated the fact. _Hold on . . .there is a way to contact him. . . I could just scry him and find out what he is doing._ Vaelia thought matter-of-factly, and hurried to the mirror, which was attached to the door of her closet.

She stared at it, and closed her eyes, imagining him. Then, she opened them and said, "Draumr kopa."

The surface of the mirror rippled, and turned black. A few moments later, she was staring at Deaother, and she was a little surprised when she saw him.  
He was sitting all alone on his bed, in a room with white walls. There was a window next to his bed, and sunlight was streaming in. There was a small table next to the bed, but that was all she could see of the room.

Deaother was staring at the ground, with his hands clenched tightly in front of him. Vaelia noticed that he was in deep thought, and he was hardly blinking at all. Vaelia watched for a while, then went closer and muttered, "Deaother?"

Deaother jumped and looked around, startled, "Who? Vaelia? Where are you? And when did you come here?"

Vaelia chuckled at his reaction, something quite unexpected, "I am here, Deaother, in the mirror."

Deaother turned around, and sighed when he spotted her, "You scared me out of my wits . . ."

"Did I now? Well, we're even then." Vaelia smiled.

Deaother stared at her for a while, and his surprise vanished, to be replaced by a smile, "How are you, Vaelia? . . . It's been some time, but-"

"It's been a long time, Deaother," Vaelia interrupted. "When are you coming back?"

Deaother raised his eyebrows. Vaelia blushed, suddenly wishing she hadn't said that. "I . . . I am leaving today, so I think I'll be there in a couple of days. I and Everaun will arrive there together . . . . Vaelia, is something wrong? You seem quite tensed." Deaother asked her, and she looked up too quickly.

 _Something is wrong . . . I am in love with him, that's what, but its not wrong . . .oh well, best just avoid the question._

"I could say the same of you, why, you didn't even notice me for almost ten minutes." Vaelia told him.

"I . . . Well . . . its complicated, I'll explain once I-"

"Tell me now." Vaelia interrupted, and Deaother looked at her in more surprise, then scratched the back of his head. "Are you sure nothing is wrong?" Deaother asked her, and she stared back as innocently as she could.

"I am fine, Deaother." Vaelia told him, meaning health-wise. "But what happened to you? Why are you so sad?"

Deaother rubbed his head with his hand, then looked back at her. "Vaelia . . . I don't know how to say this but . . . well . . . my parents . . . no, wait! I'll explain it to you later, I promise. I just don't want to talk about it right now . . ." Deaother told her

"Of course, it's up to you." Vaelia said, but suddenly there was a loud yell from outside. Vaelia jumped and looked around, as did Deaother. He stood up and came closer to the mirror, staring through it at her.

"What was that? What's wrong?" Deaother asked her.

"I don't know . . . someone is shouting outside . . . I think they're shouting for my father." Vaelia replied, then hurried to the window of her room. She pulled off the wooden planks and pushed the window open, and looked down. She couldn't see anyone, so she turned around and searched again. She looked towards the gate of the Tialdari Hall, and her eyes widened in surprise, while her face went pale.

"Vaelia, who is it?" Deaother said loudly, while Vaelia stared down in growing astonishment and fear.

"Its . . . its Worian."


	51. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50: The Storm begins**

"Worian!" Vaelia shouted, while Deaother stared at her from the mirror, astounded.

"Worian has returned?" Deaother asked her, but she didn't seem to hear him, "Vaelia?"

"Yes, he has returned! And, he is covered in blood!" Vaelia replied hurriedly. She was nearly jumping with excitement and panic now.

"Vaelia . . . calm down, he is alive . . . although, it beats me why he is covered in blood." Deaother said.  
"Deaother, I'll talk to you later, I need to see what this is all about. I'll contact you-"

"Oh no, don't, I'll contact you later this evening, fill me in then." Deaother said. Vaelia turned around and nodded, stopping the flow of magic, then hurried out of the room.

Seeing the person whom she had given up on suddenly reappear in such a state had really struck a nerve in Vaelia. She was running as fast as she could, as were several other elves, royal guards of the king. Worian was yelling, "My king, we are in danger, grave danger! We have been betrayed!"

What exactly was making Worian shout like this was something Vaelia had no idea about. But all she knew that he was speaking the truth, seeing as he was shouting in the Ancient Language, and that she had to find out as fast as possible. Dathedr appeared next to her suddenly, as did many other elves.

"Father, what's happening?" Vaelia asked him, running, while Dathedr easily kept pace with her.

"I should be asking you that, seeing as he was your friend before he left for Nadindel." Dathedr said.

"He left for Nadindel?" Vaelia asked, incredulous. She had no idea about that.

"Yes . . . he didn't tell you?" Dathedr asked him.

"N-No." Vaelia replied.

They exited the Tialdari Hall to find him standing outside now, he walked around the walls of the house was staring at them. Vaelia watched him, her father by her side, and he did seem quite more horrible than before. His hair were askew, there was mud all over his face. He seemed to be wearing leather armor, which was also torn and covered in blood. Beneath the torn leather, Vaelia could see the remains of a horrible wound, although Worian had healed most of it.

"What has happened to you, Worian? And why are you shouting?" Someone said from the side, and Vaelia recognized the speaker as Vanir, Worian's father.

"Father . . . Nadindel . . . taken . . . Nadindel has been taken by the Ra'zac . . . I am the only one who has survived and . . . we were betrayed . . ." Worian stammered, and began to limp forward, his face strained. "Lady Enaevia betrayed us, she faked her illness . . . so that we wouldn't be prepared to fight . . . I . . ." Worian said and staggered, and Vanir hurried to him and grabbed him, holding him up.

"Steady, my son." Vanir muttered.

Dathedr listened, his face showing a rare scowl which Vaelia had hardly ever seen. "Worian, how do you know this?" Dathedr asked.

Worian looked up at him, holding completely onto his father, and said, "My lord . . . I heard them . . . I heard Lady Enaevia talking to the leader of the Ra'zac . . . and they had Lethrblaka with them . . . that's how I was wounded, it struck me with its tail and knocked me unconscious . . . .They thought there were no survivors, but they were wrong . . . "

"I sent a message to Nadindel, telling them that the city was under the danger of being attacked." Dathedr said.

"We didn't receive any such message, my lord." Worian said, then staggered even more. Vaelia wasn't able to watch anymore. She hurried forward and grabbed his other hand, and heaved it over her shoulders, holding him steady.

"Take a deep breath, Worian, its fine now, you are safe." Vaelia muttered to him. Worian turned to her, and she saw several cuts on his face, but he smiled and gave her a look to pure gratitude.

"This, I did not expect in the least . . . are all the elves truly dead?" Dathedr asked.

"Yes my lord . . . only me and Lady Enaevia survived, as far as I know." Worian said.

"This will not go unpunished . . . take him inside and have someone tend to him . . . in the meantime, I will try to contact the Riders, and see if they can help us with this." Dathedr said, then began to walk back, when he suddenly turned around and said, "Vaelia . . . come with me child." Vaelia stared at her father and for a moment, wished she could refuse and stay with Worian, but no. She knew that her father would have something important to tell her.

"I'll be back Worian . . ." Vaelia whispered and gently let go of him. The king motioned for one of the other elves to help Vanir, who grabbed Worian's free arm to support him as soon as Vaelia let go.

"Please hurry . . . I've so many things to tell you . . ." Worian said, and Vaelia raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything.

"Vaelia, hurry up." Dathedr said, already hurrying inside. Vaelia turned and hurried after him.

They walked for a while, heading for their quarters, when Vaelia asked, "What is it that you want father?"

"I want to tell you some things, and ask about some things as well. Just keep up, I need to alert the other lords . . . I wonder how Lady Enaevia betrayed, didn't she take the Vow of Legitimacy and Conscientiousness?" Dathedr spoke in a hushed voice.

"Vow of what?" Vaelia asked him, curious.

"Legitimacy and Conscientiousness . . . of the authority that she has and the responsibility that comes with it . . . if she took that vow, it would have been impossible for her to betray us as she did . . . I wonder what happened?" Dathedr said.

"Perhaps she spoke a half lie, or somehow managed to evade the prospect of taking the vow." Vaelia said. They reached their quarters, and Vaelia looked back to see Worian and his companions taking him to Vanir's room.

"Both are likely, the latter more . . . it is quite hard to make a half lie in the vow, because it's straightforward and properly worded. No way to be deceitful . . . oh well, I suppose she is the only one who can tell us . . . or maybe, someone else in the council." Dathedr said, and briskly walked in, heading for the conference room, which was full of mirrors.

"Father, do I need to-?" Vaelia began to ask, but Dathedr spoke before she could finish.

"You have to stay with me right now, Vaelia, until Deaother returns, am I understood?" Dathedr said, in a rather strict tone. He entered the room, and Vaelia followed, perplexed.

"What do you mean, until Deaother returns?" Vaelia asked him, and Dathedr sighed.

"My daughter . . . I trust that you are safe with me . . . and also that you'll be safe with Deaother. As of now, I do not trust anyone else." Dathedr said, and turned around.

"But why not? I am sure your Royal guards can-?

"They have taken an oath, yes, but to protect the land, the kingdom . . . and they will be ready to run off to some other place and leave you to fend for yourself if it means saving the kingdom . . . while I . . . I will also be forced to lead them. But Deaother . . . he is independent . . . and I am sure, quite sure, that he will protect you with his life." Dathedr explained distractedly as he searched the table in the centre of the room for a parchment. Vaelia was stunned.

"But why? . . . he is my friend, a very good friend, yes . . . but-"

Dathedr turned to her suddenly, looking up from the table, "I suppose there's no point in hiding it from you now . . . He swore that he would do whatever necessary to keep you safe, he promised me this . . . and so, I know that you will be safe with him." Dathedr said. Then went around, searching for something in his closet. Vaelia didn't reply, but stared at him, unable to breath, as her face slowly went red with fear and grief. It had been a huge blow to her, what her father had just said. She couldn't believe what she had heard, Deaother had not even told her about it.

"What do you . . . you mean that . . . .all this time he spent with me . . .all the places we went to, the places I showed him . . . all the while he has just been my bodyguard?" Vaelia asked, incredulous and hardly able to believe what she was hearing.

 _Figures . . . why he didn't contact me all this time, I am just a burden for him to protect . . . and here I thought we had something special . . . I . . . . was I so wrong?_ Vaelia thought, at first she had felt oddly flat, but when the words had begun to sink in, she had been truly hurt by what she had learned about Deaother. _No . . . it can't be true . . . his behavior, it wasn't like any bodyguard . . . he was a true friend of mine . . . no . . . oh, I don't know!_ Vaelia argued, frustrated.

Dathedr turned around, his hands still empty, but he stopped as soon as he saw his daughter, and let his hands fall to his sides. "Vaelia, don't get me wrong . . . he was and still is your friend, and holds you in great esteem . . .which is exactly why he agreed to promise me this . . . although, I think I cornered him into accepting, actually." Dathedr said, and Vaelia turned to him sharply.

"You forced him? You mean, he was hesitating?" Vaelia asked, now even more angry by what she had heard. Why would Deaother hesitate to protect her?

"He was reluctant, yes, because of what you might think if he made such a promise without your knowledge about it . . . well, he was more concerned about your feelings than anything else at the time, so . . . I think I can assume that-"

"Father! How could you do such a thing? I am quite capable of defending myself, and here I thought that I had got a companion . . . he had become such a dear friend to me . . . but now, he has turned out to be nothing but a guard . . . just a puppet of yours so that I won't go out of your sight for too long . . ."

"Child, listen-" Dathedr tried to say, but Vaelia cut him off.

"No! . . . Father, I felt he was close to me . . . but no, he was faking it all? . . . He was just a filthy liar, a precaution set by you so that I won't-"

"Vaelia!" Dathedr shouted, raising his finger threateningly, "Do no cross your limits!" Vaelia was silenced immediately when she saw his finger, which meant that he was quite angry indeed. "He is a very good and loyal person . . . and he regards himself as your friend and companion, not a 'precaution' or my hired elf . . . If you don't trust my word, ask him yourself . . . now go!" Dathedr shouted the last words and turned around.

Vaelia stared at him for a while, unable to believe how furious he was. She had never actually seen her father as angry as this, although she had angered him a few times before. But now, there really was nothing she could do, except turn around and head for the door. As she opened it, Dathedr turned around and looked at her, "You have angered me a lot Vaelia . . . I never even imagined that you would have such poisonous thoughts in your mind . . . you were never like this, my child . . . never."

Vaelia didn't reply, she just hurried out of the door and closed it, then walked away briskly, rubbing her eyes. Somehow, she was unable to stop the tears that were suddenly flowing from them, or her own feeling of guilt and regret that was welling up inside of her.

Deaother washed his face with the water in the basin, pushing away his sleep and exhaustion. He had not been able to sleep the previous night, he had been constantly wondering about what would happen to his parents. He had noticed that he was not the only one who had been awake. Thorn and Draumr had been awake as well, apparently unable to sleep due to the absence of their mates.

Deaother had watched both the dragons, father and daughter, staring at the ocean with dull eyes, the faces showing their evident grief. Now, he himself wished to go back to Ellesmera and join Vaelia. Although, the way in which she had contacted him earlier that day, and Worian's sudden appearance had surprised him a lot. He was curious to know what had happened, because he remembered Vaelia telling him that he was covered in blood.

Why would he have returned from Nadindel so suddenly, and in such a way? Deaother could hardly imagine was just past lunch time, and Deaother didn't have much to do then, so he sat down on his bed, then removed his boots and lay down, relaxing completely.

 _I wonder what is going on at Ellesmera right now . . . what was that?_ Deaother thought. He was sure he had heard a 'sniff'. He jumped out of bed and pulled his boots back on, then grabbed his sword, which was lying on his bedside table. He belted it on, and looked around, trying to find the source of the noise.

 _I am sure something was there . . . I wonder . . ._ Deaother turned to the mirror, and jumped. "Vaelia! What are you doing there?" Deaother said, surprised by her for the second time.

"I wanted to . . . ask you something Deaother . . . something very important." Vaelia replied.

Deaother noticed that her eyes were red and watery, "Were you crying? What happened? Is Worian alright?"

Vaelia turned away from him, and went and sat down on a couch, "He . . . is fine . . . and yes, I was crying. But first, I must know something . . . Deaother, did you ever promise my father something? Anything?"

Deaother stared at her, and although she wasn't looking at him, he was sure that he wouldn't be able to avoid the question, it was direct.

"I . . . well, yes, I did . . . it-I . . . why are you asking me this?" Deaother asked her.

"Because I know what you promised him . . . Deaother, you have been acting all this time, haven't you?" Vaelia said angrily, turning to him and glaring.

Deaother jumped, "Acting about what?"

"Acting to be my friend . . . acting as if you cared about me, and what I felt was that you . . . but all you were doing was keeping me safe? All you were doing was ensuring that I would remain safe and-"

"One minute." Deaother said slowly, "I've never, ever acted about anything with you . . . I was concerned for your safety, yes, but just the way you were concerned about mine, as a friend . . ."

"Deaother . . . all that time we spent together . . .I . . . Deaother, how could you not tell me about that promise you took?" Vaelia asked him.

"I was bound, Vaelia, I couldn't tell anyone about it . . . least of all you." Deaother replied, beginning to get a little angry himself.

"Well . . . so . . . you weren't just giving me company for the sake of ensuring nothing happened to me? You were giving me company as a friend?" Vaelia asked him.

"I was." Deaother replied simply.

Vaelia stared at him, then turned away. _Something has definitely changed in her behavior . . . she didn't tell me what happened._

"Vaelia, you lied to me as well," Deaother pointed out. Vaelia looked up in surprise.

"When?"

"Earlier today, I asked you what was wrong, but you said you were fine . . . that was a half lie, now tell me the truth, why are behaving in such a different, such an angry way?" Deaother asked her, and Vaelia stared at him for a while. Her eyes were quite distracting, they were still very red and he could almost see a tear forming in one of them.

"I . . . I think I have finally decided whom I would like to mate, Deaother." Vaelia said, in a little happier tone.

Deaother jumped a foot. _This blithering nonsense! No . . . how can she? I . . . well, let's hear this out._

"Who?" Deaother asked her loudly, and she smiled suddenly.

One moment she is crying, another moment she is laughing . . . Deaother thought, feeling awkward.

"I . . . why are you so concerned all of a sudden?" Vaelia asked him.

"I . . . I . . . am curious and . . . I . . ." Deaother stammered, unable to finish the sentence.

"There's no hurry Deaother . . . I'll tell you who it is once I meet you, when you return to Ellesmera, is that fine? Now I have to go . . . See you soon." Vaelia said and hurried away.

"Vaelia, wait! At least give me a clue!" Deaother said suddenly, but the mirror turned black, and then reflected him again, with his hand held out in front of him.

That . . . was certainly unexpected. Deaother thought, then discarded it and went and sat back down on his bed.

Zar'rac stood at the head of his huge army along with Enaevia and his Generals, reinforced by more of his forces which had entered Alagaesia by his magic. Zar'rac's old castle in Du Weldenvarden had been quite useful, seeing the fact that wild magic of Crugan's make existed within it, especially in the courtyard.

"Tell the soldiers to get ready . . . we march for Ellesmera in three hours . . . with two days, we will have attacked the city . . . and given another day, we will have annihilated it." Zar'rac spoke triumphantly, confident with his victory at Nadindel.

"Now go!" Zar'rac motioned for the Generals to leave, then, as they left, he turned to Enaevia.

"Listen here, lady, these men and Ra'zac are fascinated enough by you, and it is just because of the fact that you are with me that stops them from lunging at you. I wish to keep it that way, which is why I have given you my own tent . . . fear not, I don't spend more than a minute inside it, just to get my weapons and armor." Zar'rac told her, and she stared at him for a while, after which she nodded hesitantly.

Zar'rac then turned around and gazed towards the south, where another army was building itself. Then he turned to the southeast, where the next invasion was going to take place.

 _Lead Rider, you are going to have your hands full._ Zar'rac thought, and laughed, a laugh which made the trees themselves cringe and the birds high up to chirp in discomfort and fly as fast as they could, away from the source of the sound.


	52. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51: The Second Threat**

Orúm sat inside a small tent, rubbing dwarven blood off his sword. The Rider was still at Galfni, he knew it, and he had to wait and bid his time out in the wilds. The prospect wasn't so challenging for him, he hardly needed any food, or water. All he needed was energy, which he could take from the bodies of the dead animals using a simple spell which he had placed on himself many years ago.

Now, he, and about fifty of his men, had made camp several miles away northwest of Galfni and were waiting for the message from one of his men stationed there as a trader, telling them that it was clear to return and enter the mountains and return to the Dream Well. That was all he needed to do, after that, his army would arrive, and they would bring about the doom of Alagaesia.

 _Although, I doubt if any of these layabouts will stand against those dragons._ Orúm thought, frustrated. Just then, the flaps of his tent were pushed aside and a man entered, wearing a leather helm and muddy chainmail, "Commander Orúm?"

Orúm hissed, he hated the phrase, "What is it?"

"We just had a . . . message from our man in Galfni . . . it seems that the Rider and those two dragons attacked the castle there . . ." The man was nearly stuttering.

"What?" Orúm asked him sharply, and the man jumped.

"Sir . . . The Grimstborith is dead, the Rider killed him, as are the men we stationed there. It seems that they were all burnt to death." The man said a little more clearly.

Orúm stared at him for a while, then sheathed his sword and stood up, "Contact him."

"Sir?"

"Contact that man right now!" Orúm commanded.

"But sir, we don't know where he is and-"

"Just do it, you filthy fig!" Orúm exclaimed angrily, and pointed at a bowl of water that was kept on a table to the side of the dark tent.

"Y-Yes sir." The man said and walked to the bowl of water. He spoke the magic words in a moment, then stepped back as Orúm strode over to the bowl. He stared into it.

 _In the name of hell, what are you doing?_ Orúm thought, and banged the table on which the bowl was kept. The water rippled, but showed the man. He hurriedly packing his things and searching everywhere for something.

"Are you a coward or what?" Orúm shouted, glaring at the man in the bowl. The man jumped and looked around, and went pale when he spotted Orúm.

"S-Sir?"

"You are not leaving Galfni, is that clear? Now, where is that Rider?" Orúm asked him.

"I-I . . . .I saw them leave and fly northwest sir . . . and I don't know where they have gone but I am sure they are not here . . ." The man said.

The man next to Orúm went pale, "Northwest? That means they are coming here, in our direction."

"That is blithering nonsense, how would they even know where to come?" Orúm said.

"Sir . . . one of the men, our man, was missing from the tower . . . I counted the corpses myself." The man in the bowl said, and cowered as Orúm snarled.

"You are telling me this now?" Orúm asked.

"I apologise sir . . ."The man said.

"Useless piece of scum!" Orúm swore, then turned around. "You! Tell the men to get ready and to expect dragons! I am surprised that it took them so long to attack." Orúm said.

Ephian stood at the edge of the cliff, staring down at Orúm's campsite.

 _Today's the day . . . We are going to attack those foreigners . . . and trust me, I am going to kill that shade._ Ephian told Jiarha, who was waiting for him, next to Eridor.

 _Ephian, don't let anger cloud you judgment, you are better than this._ Jiarha said, while Eridor clawed the ground impatiently.

 _Jiarha . . . Anger is a good weapon if it can be used properly against our enemies . . . you will see that soon enough._ Eridor told her, and Jiarha threw him an angry look. Ephian smiled at Eridor as he walked back to them. He sent them the image of the campsite mentally.

 _So . . . we are going to attack that campsite head on. First, you will rain fire upon them from above, then we dive in and destroy the place. But I am sure that won't kill the Shade, so we will have to look for him . . . I am sure he will try to flee, just like last time._ Ephian explained.

 _So that's it . . . that's your plan?_ Eridor asked.

 _Well . . . yes._ Ephian said, a little embarrassed. _If you have any suggestions, or a better plan then . . . enlighten me._ Ephian said the last words with an air of irritation.

 _Sure!_ Eridor said, annoyed. _How about you jump off the cliff right now and start slicing and hacking at everything you see? I am sure that will make those fools as frightened of you as they are frightened of Jiarha and me._

 _Well, I suppose that's worth a try, but seriously, its lady's first!_ Ephian said and held out his hand towards the cliff, as if inviting Eridor to go ahead of him. _Please, after you._

Eridor growled menacingly, and Ephian glared, but Jiarha intervened. _Cut it out, both of you . . ._ She said, and grabbed Eridor by her fore legs and pulled him back slowly. _This isn't helping!_

 _Who is he to order me around?_ Eridor asked her angrily, while Ephian just watched, his furious scowl still on his face.

 _He isn't ordering you around, he was just telling us how to get things done . . . and he is always open to changes or different opinions, there was no need to take it so seriously._ Jiarha told him.

 _Leave it, Jiarha._ Ephian said, _He won't listen . . . He will remain adamant, what else to expect of a-_

 _Of a what?_ Eridor asked him suddenly, trying to free himself from Jiarha's grip. _A what, Rider? Don't forget, you are responsible for my Rider's abduction, and I will always blame you for it and always hold you in a low esteem for it . . ._

 _Where were you when she . . ._ Ephian began to say, but stopped. He knew that it wouldn't do it push the blame away from him and onto someone else, when it had rightfully been his mistake.

Jiarha pulled Eridor back and made him sit down, saying something to him. Ephian didn't bother listening, and instead turned around and headed for the edge of the cliff again. He stared down at the camp, and suddenly saw men running around, from one camp to the other.

 _And you!_ Jiarha said suddenly, making him jump and turn around.

 _What?_ Ephian asked.

 _What was the need to trouble him like that?_ Jiarha asked him.

 _What was his problem? Why did he mock me?_ Ephian asked her back.

 _Ephian . . . I am warning you now . . . we need him on our side . . . I need him, Ephian . . . if not for yourself then at least, for my sake, let him be happy with what he has . . . I know you are upset over Elva's disappearance as well, but please, for heaven's sake, don't lose your temper. Please, for my sake, just try to be good to him . . ._ Jiarha told him.

Ephian stared at his dragon, then, suddenly seized by the desire, he reached forward and hugged her face. _. . . As you wish, Jiarha . . . I just . . . well, I am trying to help him as well, but he is just discarding all my attempts, now that's not right, is it?_ Ephian asked her.

 _Then just leave him well enough alone, I will take care of him._ Jiarha told him.

King Orik stood in front of a messenger, frustrated.

"What do you mean, two dragons attacked Galfni? That's preposterous!" Orik exclaimed.

"Sire, we have examined the memories of the people as well, and we are certain that there were two dragons . . ." The messenger insisted. Orik stared at him for a while, then turned to the Rider who had just entered the hall.

"Ah, there you are . . . this dwarf here has quite important news that might require your . . . .opinion." Orik told Trellony, who nodded.

"Of course sire . . . what might the problem be?" She asked, turning to the messenger.

"The city of Galfni was attacked by two dragons, just a couple of days ago . . . and we found Grimstborith Larouf dead in his quarters, evidently killed by a sword." The dwarf said, and Trellony frowned.

"Two dragons you say? . . . were they jet black and light blue in colour?" Trellony asked him, and he gaped at her, surprised.

"How do you-?"

"Just answer me." Trellony said calmly, while Orik also stared at her in surprise.

"Yes, Rider, there were of that colour." The dwarf said.

"Jiarha and Eridor? . . . Ephian!" Trellony muttered, while the dwarf and Orik stared at her confusedly.

"You know them?" Orik asked her, and she nodded slightly. He then turned to the dwarf and said, "Go and get rested, I am sure that you must be exhausted . . .I shall call you later."

The dwarf seemed as if he wanted to remain and question Trellony further, but instead he turned around and left.

"Sire . . . you know them as well." Trellony said as soon as the dwarf had left.

Orik raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Is that so?"

"Yes . . . they came here . . . Rider Elva and Rider Ephian, and their dragons, Eridor and Jiarha . . . those two dragons are of the same colour as well . . . I wonder if something happened that made them turn against the city . . . I don't know about Elva, she is a little unstable but Ephian is a senior Rider he would know better than to attack the city." Trellony said.

Orik sighed, then turned around with his hand behind his back, "Whatever the reason, I cannot accept such actions in my kingdom . . . Well, I'll contact the Lead Rider and have those two detained, it is in my power to do so . . . but where are they?"

 _So, are we going to use my plan?_ Ephian asked Jiarha and Eridor. Jiarha agreed almost immediately, and Eridor agreed after a couple of seconds. _Excellent, then let us get to it at once . . . those men down there seemed to have noticed us, I think I saw them packing up earlier, but they are still there._ Ephian said, then climbed onto Jiarha's saddle. Ephian drew Edoc'sil, then turned to Eridor, who was staring straight ahead.  
Ready when you are. Jiarha said, and Ephian smiled.

 _I am ready . . ._

Jiarha growled and charged forwards, then flapped her wings and soared into the air, flapping faster. Eridor followed suit, then flapped harder and soared above them. _Eridor, what are you doing?_ Jiarha asked, but Eridor didn't seem to have heard.

 _Let him do it, Jiarha, it's his neck . . . What?_ Ephian as Jiarha suddenly snarled at him.

 _What is wrong with you nowadays? Why are you acting so cold? . . . Eridor is the dragon of the woman whom you love, don't you think you should be good to him?_ Jiarha asked him.

 _I suppose I should . . . and I will behave much better with him if it turns out that he is the dragon my partner of heart-and-mind loves._ Ephian said, and he was sure that he felt a surge of joy and irritation from Jiarha, who, it seemed, didn't know what to think.

 _No need to hide it Jiarha, I can understand your emotions now . . . I know . . . I know that you love him a lot, and don't want to see him the way he is now . . . but there is nothing we can do about it just yet . . . give him some space, give him a chance to let his anger out . . . he'll be alright then._ Ephian explained.

 _I suppose so . . . Has he gone crazy or what?!_ Jiarha said suddenly.

Eridor had pulled his head back and roared as loud as he could have. Ephian stared at him, surprised himself as the dragon suddenly dived towards the ground, heading straight for the campsite.

 _We have to stop him!_ Jiarha said.

No . . . let him do it, my good dragon . . . Ephian replied. _Go on, dive after him, he can't do this on his own . . ._

Jiarha agreed, although half heartedly. She dove after him, gaining speed as gravity played its part on her heavy body. She flew faster and faster, and in half a minute she was above the campsite, to see Eridor already flapping away, and most of the tents already on fire. There were a dozen large tents there, out of which he had set fire to eight of them in one go.

Jiarha pulled out of the dive just in time, then roared and breathed fire as well, setting the remaining tents aflame. Just then, Eridor dove again, and crashed into a couple of tents. Growling, he swung his tail around and broke apart the pole of one more. Men ran out of the burning tents, all wearing armor and armed with crossbows. Jiarha dived at the men, and sent a torrent of fire upon them, while Ephian recited a spell, giving him inhuman speed and strength.

 _Take care of these men, Jiarha, I am going after Orúm._ Ephian said, making a split second decision.

 _No, you're not!_ Jiarha said, but Ephian jumped off her as soon as she reached closed to the ground.

 _I am sorry Jiarha . . . but I must get him . . ._ Ephian said, falling to the ground, and rolling to reduce the impact.

 _Ephian! I . . . Eridor!_ Jiarha exclaimed loudly, and Ephian looked around. Eridor was roaring, one of the arrows had pierced his snout, but otherwise, nothing had happened to him.

 _He'll be fine . . ._ Ephian said, and turned around.

He was standing between two burning tents, Edoc'sil in hand, still wearing his bloody armor. He looked around, searching for Orúm, but instead saw three men with crossbows, aiming and Jiarha, who had landed on the other side of the camp and was tearing apart the place. Ephian drew Nuanen and ran towards the two men, and jumped ahead. The men spotted him and began shooting bolts at him, but he rolled to the side, behind a barrel as soon as he came out of the jump.

 _This is bad . . ._ Ephian thought, then dropped Edoc'sil, and aimed his glittering palm at them and shouted, "Kveykva!"

A bold the lighting shot out of his hand and struck the three of them, knocking them down. Ephian grabbed Edoc'sil and ran forward, then jumped and stabbed two men as soon as he landed. The third man got up and swung his crossbow at Ephian, who blocked it with Nuanen. The crossbow was wooden, so he just broke it apart with one swing from Edoc'sil. The man grumbled, and drew his sword, but Ephian struck it aside with Edoc'sil and pierced the man's shoulder with Nuanen. The man yelled in pain and staggered back. Ephian jumped forward and kicked him hard, making him fall to the ground.

"Tell me, where is Orúm?" Ephian asked him furiously. He could feel the energy in him, the power, the strength that he felt only in the midst of battle. "Where is he?" Ephian asked him even more loudly.

"H-He . . . he is near that grey tent . . . towards the right . . ." The man said, stuttering.

Ephian turned to the right, and sure enough, Orúm was there, staring as Jiarha and Eridor killed his men in the other parts of the camp.

"You know, you just saved your own life . . ." Ephian told the man, then struck his head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out.

He then turned around and headed for Orúm. On the other side of the camp, Jiarha sliced apart two men with her talons, and she jumped ahead, towards the Shade, intending to help her Rider in defeating him. Eridor bashed a man aside with his huge leg, then burned three more. Ephian jumped over a barrel and ran ahead, his swords held tightly in his hands. But suddenly, Jiarha dived from above and let loose a torrent of fire from her maw, while Orúm jumped back in surprise. The fire engulfed three men, but there were five more. Ephian reached his dragoness just as she crushed a man beneath with her tail.

 _On time . . . Thank you Jiarha, I couldn't have done this on my own . . ._ Ephian said, and Jiarha roared and swiped the remaining men.

The battle had begun, Rider and dragon against Orúm and his forces in the south. But unknown to Ephian, a huge army waited in the distant land of Alalea, awaiting their commander Orúm's command to enter Alagaesia. The invasion from the south was going to begin, and there was only one hope for the kingdom of the dwarves to survive this assault. The hopes of the southeast depended on the accused Rider and dragons.


	53. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52: A Grave Error**

Orúm stopped short, watching the black dragoness and her Rider in front of him. He scowled as the five men next to him cowered in fear as they watched their comrades being burnt alive in the black fire that the dragoness shot at them.

"Listen to me, Rider!" Orúm said, staring at the man wearing dark armor. "You are biting off more than you can chew, you cannot stop Alagaesia from falling to us, it is impossible . . ."

The Rider stared at him for a while, eyebrows raised, then he crouched and said, "This shows how short-sighted you are, Shade."

Orúm felt a wave of rage course through him, he never gave second chances to anyone, and the first time he had, he had been refuted. "You'll regret that, filthy Rider . . . Oh yes, and I know just the way to do that . . . your friend . . ." Orúm said, and he notice the Rider's jaw tighten. "I will make sure that her every waking moment is that of pain, and do you know how? . . ." He could see fury on the Rider's face, and he knew that the dam would break soon. "I will skin her hand first, then burn it with-"

"You won't dare touch her! I won't give you the chance you-" The Rider began to say, but his words were drowned as the blue dragon on the other side of the camp gave a loud roar and jumped, wings flapping, and flew towards their direction.

"Get them, attack!" Orúm yelled, drawing his sword. The Rider in front of him charged, as did his men. He himself ran towards the black dragoness, and ducked as she swiped her talons at him. Then he dashed to the left, and jumped above her tail came towards him. He was very close to her now, close enough to work magic.

As the black dragoness pulled her head back to breath fire at him, Orúm raised his left hand and yelled, "Garjzla!" An orb of shimmering green light burst out of his hand and sped towards her neck. In the meantime he sprinted faster and jumped forwards, sliding under her chest as he hit the ground. Then he got up, intending to stab her in the heart, but she roared and jumped back. On the other side, her Rider also yelled in pain. Orúm realized that his attack had worked, but it had given away his chance of killing the dragon. Then again, there was nothing for it. He jumped to right, and a huge paw landed where he had been less than a second ago.

That was too close for comfort. He thought, and just then, the blue dragon landed and swiped at the remaining three men, just as they ganged down upon the Rider. A man was thrown away wildly, his body bloody.

Orúm pounced ahead with his sword pulled back. As soon as his feet hit the ground, inches away from Jiarha's leg, he jabbed ahead, and pierced his sword into her leg. It penetrated into her flesh till it was just half out, and she roared in intense pain. Ephian fell to the ground, yelling "Jiarha!" and clutching his leg as well.

But, quite suddenly, something powerful hit Orúm extremely hard from the left, making him fly away towards the right, He dashed through the air for several breathtaking moments, until he hit the ground and rolled uncontrollably for a couple of seconds.

"Blasted dragons!" He swore.

"Jiarha!" Ephian yelled once more, feeling the pain she was feeling, and doing his best to control himself. There was still one man left, and Orúm had already been bashed away by Eridor. Ephian ducked under a blow from his attacker, then jumped back, avoiding any other incoming blows. The man cursed and swung his mace towards him again, but Ephian blocked the blow with Nuanen, and slashed apart the man's leather armor, clothing and chest. The man fell back, clutching his torn torso, then made to get up, but Ephian pierced his heart with Edoc'sil.

"Are you alright?" Ephian asked out loud, turning around while his dragon lay on the ground, unable to get up. Eridor was next to her, already taking a look at her injury. Ephian tried to run to her, but his leg was paining just has Jiarha's was, which forced him to limp.

"Jiarha . . ." Ephian said, then noticed a particularly horrible burn and gash on her neck, the place where Orúm had shot the magic orb.

 _Give her a minute will you? You are screaming her head off._ Eridor muttered.

Ephian was too worried to rebut him, and instead said. _Can you do something?_

 _You are the magician here . . . you do something._ Eridor replied.

 _I don't understand, I can't sense her thoughts . . . I mean, I can, but they-_

 _She is unconscious, I think the magic blast that the shade made is the reason for that._ Eridor cut in, then crouched and slid his forelegs under Jiarha's stomach.

 _What are you doing?_ Ephian asked him, watching as he heaved,

 _What do you think? I am turning her over so that we can do something about her wound . . . By the egg-breaker's thrice blasted beard!_ Eridor swore, roaring. _There are more men coming . . . and the shade is coming as well . . . Rider, you take that shade on, I will take care of the men . . . I think I can do something to help Jiarha, but you will have to stall that shade long enough for me to put my plan in action._ Eridor said, then jumped above Jiarha and landed in front of her, roaring.

Ephian didn't reply, but did as he had been told. He ran to the side, and looked around for Orúm, whom he saw running towards him, a different sword in hand. As Ephian saw it, he realized and that Orúm's sword was still embedded in Jiarha's skin. He turned around and sheathed Edoc'sil, then grabbed the other sword and pulled as hard as he could. It came out, covered in flesh and blood, and Ephian finally yelled in pain as it coursed through his left ankle.

 _I have to stop her from bleeding, and fast . . ._ Ephian thought and hurriedly held up his palm and said, "Waise Heil!"

Magic emanated from his hand, and covered the wound, and soon new skin was stretching across it. But he couldn't heal it completely, he stopped as soon as he was sure that there would be no more bleeding. Then, he stepped back and drew his black sword, knowing that Orúm would be very close.

 _It's time to get him back for what he did to her . . .to Elva . . ._ Ephian thought and yelled his rage, sprinting ahead towards Orúm, who was just a few yards away. The Shade was also running, and he swung his sword as hard as he could as soon as Ephian was close enough. There was a loud _clang_ as the Rider parried the blow, then ducked and swung his left hand around, momentum carrying him closer to the Shade. Orúm blocked the blow, and Ephian tried to swing Edoc'sil at his head, but Orúm grabbed his wrist tightly, his face slightly strained due to the strength he was applying. Ephian struggled against him for a while, but after a while, Orúm heaved mightily and threw Ephian back.

Ephian stumbled, but regained the lost ground in a moment, jabbing Edoc'sil and Nuanen at Orúm simultaneously, and the Shade just jumped to the side, dodging both the blade. Ephian gasped and stumbled forward, and fortunately so, because Orúm tried to stab him behind. Ephian turned around and struck Orúm's sword with Edoc'sil, knocking it upwards, then ducked under a punch that Orúm sent at him, then swung Nuanen around blindly.

Orúm winced as a blue sword slashed his right leg, the cut wasn't too deep, but it was deep enough to ruin his balance. Orúm cursed and jumped to the side, but the Ephian was already upon him. He bellowed in anger and struck Orúm's sword aside again with Nuanen, then jabbed forward with Edoc'sil. Orúm ducked, knowing that it was impossible to block the blow now . . .

Edoc'sil sliced through the air, and Orúm's head went down, trying to dodge the blow. Ephian had aimed for the heart, and that was just the place which Orúm was trying to protect . . .

Edoc'sil pierced through Orúm's forehead, going through completely.

Ephian gave a gasp of surprise and jumped back, letting go of Edoc'sil completely. Orúm stepped back, the black protruding out from his face, and his hands hurriedly groping at it. He took several steps back, then, he dropped his sword and stretched out his hands. Ephian gasped as he realized what was going to happen. But he was too late at realizing it.

There was an extremely loud blast, and Ephian felt himself fly backwards, just as Eridor turned around in surprise, as did all the other men.  
Ephian hit the ground hard, breaking off his back armor, and Edoc'sil came spinning through the air towards him. Before he could muster the energy to reach forward and stop it, the hilt of his own sword landed hard onto his own chest, making him choke out blood and knocking the wind out of him as well. Next thing he knew, a shield fell onto his head, bashing him extremely hard, and he knew no more.

Crugan stood in front of the hovering figure of the Alagaesian Rider, a fetid odour in the air. He stared emotionlessly at the Rider, not at all attracted by her beauty and her body. All he cared for was to get his work done. He had been spending a lot of time with this Rider, tampering her mind, trying to change it to his advantage. The arcane arts that he had learnt were the key to changing her thoughts, even though she was in a forced unconsciousness. When she woke, there were just two possibilities. She would help them defeat Alagaesia, or she would go mad, her mind unhinged.

She wasn't of much use to Crugan anyway, he had got all the information that he needed. He knew who the Lead Rider was, how Alagaesia was protected, and all about the great battles in the previous century. But, the greatest fact remained that Alagaesia was not at all prepared for him, it wasn't alert.

Soon, his faithful general, Zar'ac, and his armies would overrun the elven capital, and kill their king. He wondered who would rally the elves , his son, was doing a great job out there, rounding up the humans. He had already captured their Prince. Crugan was proud at his success. And finally Orúm, his commander-in-charge, had already conquered Galfni, and would soon call his army for the great attack on the dwarven capital.

 _Galbatorix failed when he attacked Farthen Dur . . . Even though it was Durza who led his armies . . . This Lead Rider, slew him, and his mate slew another Shade. They seem to be quite a strong pair, but I have faced stronger._ Crugan thought. He was still in the central castle of the elven capital of Alalea, and he was waiting for the Rider to gain consciousness.

Ureimes had been quite difficult to capture, and the damage caused by his attack was irreparable, a mighty scar on a beautiful face. It showed how strong his forces had been. _But now, that fool Eragon has rallied them all at Ellrion, even though I had nearly dispersed them permanently . . ._ Crugan thought, anger filling his mind. His greatest enemy, Eragon, was still alive, although most of his companions had been slain in the great battle for Ureimes. Only he and Anurin, and their dragons had survived.

Zar'rac had told him, through his trusted source, that Anurin and his dragon were already dead. Crugan was pleased at the fact that the Ra'zac had succeeded, he had one less threat. He suddenly heard a cough to the side, and he turned back to see the Rider awake. She had opened her eyes wide, and she was staring down at the ground, hovering and rotating on the spot.

"Ah, you're awake." Crugan said, stepping in front of her, knowing that as soon as she saw him, she would greet him with the word, "Master." But that didn't happen. As soon as he stepped in front of her, she stared at him as if he was some unearthly specimen, then rubbed her eyes and stared at him again.

"Who are you? And where in Alagaesia am I? This place is . . . wait, where is Eridor? And Ephian? Do you . . ." She stopped short as she saw the look on his face, which was that of extreme frustration and exasperation.

"What did you say?" Crugan asked her quietly, as his temper slowly began to flare.

"I . . . I asked where I am." She replied, her voice extremely low now, but Crugan could see that she wasn't frightened, a fact that made even more furious. He reached forward and grabbed both her cheeks with his hands, and squeezed, forcing her to be quite.

"All that work, all those days spend with you, patiently working your mind, and yet you remain the same? How?" Crugan asked her, but she grabbed his hands with her own nimble ones and pulled them down, freeing her mouth.

"You! You are the one who had captured me, you bloody-"

"Be silent, you wretch, you have cost me a great deal of time, this is what the result is, the very same person . . . how is this possible, the arcane arts cannot be resisted when one's unconscious . . ." Crugan thought, then assaulted her mind. To his immense surprise, he found it fortified with the strongest barriers he had ever seen. He attacked them again, but nothing happened, his attack just ricocheted off them, not harming them at all.

"How? . . . Let down your guard, Rider, or I will break your body!" Crugan stated, grasping her face again.

"Such old-fashioned threats won't work on anyone. Now I would appreciate some answers." Elva replied, but he squeezed her face again and held it up, cursing.

Just then, he spotted something on her forehead, something that he had overlooked earlier. He then pulled her head down then, and she gave a moan of discomfort. "That's . . . a diamond?" Crugan asked, running a finger across the silvery patch on her forehead. Then he pulled his hand back hurriedly as the patch flashed brightly and gave him a slight burn on his hand. He raised an eyebrow, and moved his finger across once more, and it glowed again. His temper began to vanish now, gradually being replaced with triumph.

"Dragon magic! . . . that means that . . . wild magic exists within her body . . ." Crugan spoke to himself, and elation came to him as he realized what that meant. He had never had the chance to examine her Gedwëy Ignasia or her forehead, immersed as he had been with her mind.  
She tried to say something, but he didn't care. Instead he muttered a spell that removed the region inside which she was hovering. She fell to the ground, with her face still held by Crugan, who smiled.

"I examined you mentally, Rider . . . Now its time I did it physically . . . oh, you're going to regret ever signing up for that mission . . ." Crugan said, and slapped her powerfully, knocking her out.

Ephian groaned in pain, as he regained consciousness.

 _Where am I?_ Ephian thought, then opened his eyes. He was still were he had fallen, but all the tents had been burnt to the ground, and corpses were present everywhere. _Ah! . . . My head hurts._ Ephian thought, rubbing his cheek where the shield had fallen. But something was not right. His mind felt extremely empty, and his thoughts were all running wild, making him come to stupid and unnatural conclusions.

Instantly, he realized what the matter was. Jiarha! Jiarha, where are you? Ephian thought, looking for her, but she was nowhere in sight, and nor was Eridor. "Jiarha? Eridor?" Ephian asked, getting to his feet. A growl from behind made him jump and turn around, drawing Nuanen. Edoc'sil wasn't in its sheath. But he sighed when he realized that it was just Eridor. The sun was towards the west, and was gradually sinking. Jiarha was lying next Eridor, and he had a wing draped over her completely, almost covering her from view.

 _Eridor, what happened?_ Ephian asked him, looking for his sword, at the same time sheathing Nuanen.

 _You were knocked out when that shield hit you in the face . . ._ Eridor said, laying his head on top of Jiarha, lying down as well.

 _And Orúm?_ Ephian asked.

 _You got him, but at the wrong place . . . you cut through his head, instead of his heart, and he blasted . . . I am sure his spirits will gather somewhere else and he will be reborn._ Eridor told him, and Ephian cursed, kicking a rock as hard as he could.

 _I could have killed him once and for all . . ._ Ephian thought as he watched the stone sail through the air. He spotted his sword, lying just next to where he had fallen, and he picked it up, wincing in pain as his chest hurt.

 _How is she?_ Ephian asked, as he swung his sword around, wishing to do something with his hands.

 _She is fine, Ephian . . . she was tired, so I told her to rest while I kept watch._ Ephian raised his eyebrows at Eridor.

 _Is that why you have a wing over her?_ Ephian asked him shrewdly.

Eridor stammered with his reply for a while. _I . . . well, she was shuddering, with cold, so I thought . . ._

 _No, I was just curious . . . I am glad you were there to help her, Eridor, she wouldn't have been as peaceful as she is had you not been here._ Ephian said, smiling at him. Eridor growled in reply, and Ephian walked up to him, sheathing Edoc'sil.

 _Err . . . But why are you laying your head on top of her?_ Ephian asked him. Eridor gave low growl of irritation and stood up straight. _No, I don't have a problem with it._ Ephian said hurriedly.

Eridor gave him a blank stare, then flopped back down. _I was tired of holding it up, I have a rather large neck, you know . . . so, I am lying it down._ Eridor told him, and Ephian nodded, but he knew that there was much more to it than what Eridor was letting out, and Ephian couldn't help him. Ephian himself wouldn't tell Eridor that he loved his Rider.

A battle had been won, but, but Ephian had made a grave mistake. Orúm had vanished, and it was likely that he would reappear and accomplish that what he had come to do. Although, the fact that remained the Ephian had managed the process at least by a couple of days. It was more than enough time for them to consider what to do next.


	54. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53: Calm before the Storms**

Angrenost stood at the edge of a cliff on the island of Sharktooth, staring longingly at the distant city of Tierm, knowing that he had to return to it as soon as he could. There was a small camp there, on Sharktooth, which had been set up by Freohr's men.

Angrenost had been surviving for the last week on the food and water that he stole from the people living there.

The last week had been horrible for him; he had to constantly be on the run, evading Freohr and his men. Now, he stood, hoping that he was safe and waiting for ships to sail forth.

He had overheard a conversation last night, when he had been sneaking inside the camp for food. Two soldiers had been talking to each other in hushed voices, inside a tent, and Angrenost had been just outside.

By what they had said, five large vessels had sailed away from Tierm two days ago. Angrenost himself had seen them, but not properly. But, as he had listened to them, he had realized that they were all going to set forth and attack Tierm that night, after most of the dragons and Riders left the city.

Angrenost knew that this would his best and only way back to his own kingdom, so he had immediately knocked out one of the guards that he had come across on the way back, and donned his armor. He would look just as much a soldier as anyone else now, and could blend with the others and makes his way to land.

Deaother walked towards Phiole and Everaun, who were waiting for him in the dragon hold, ready to take off towards Ellesmera. Everaun stared at Deaother, his eyes suddenly quite sharp. Deaother stared back with a small smile, then put his small backpack into one of Phiole's saddlebags.

"How are you, my friend? . . ." Everaun asked, and Phiole stared at him as well with gentle eyes.

"I . . . I am fine, Everaun, Phiole . . . trying to get used to the new things . . ." Deaother said, looking at both of them, then sighing and running a hand through his hair.

 _It's quite obvious that you're disturbed . . . Tell us what's bothering you, is it the departure of your parents?_ Phiole asked him, and Deaother nodded, not meeting their eyes.

"Listen Deaother . . . they are coming back someday or the other, this is just a passing phase . . . things are going to be just fine . . ." Everaun tried to reassure him.

"No, it's not that simple . . . They're marching to war, to battle . . . this isn't just any casual trip." Deaother told him, trying to remain calm. "What if something-"

 _No, Deaother, don't even consider such a thing._ Phiole said suddenly, making Deaother turn to him. _They are the senior most members of our order, of course they will do their best to protect Alagaesia, but they are just as proficient, they will survive the battles. They did, a hundred years ago, against Galbatorix, and they will survive against this Crugan as well, you just wait and watch._ Phiole finished, and Deaother nodded at him.

"Listen . . . you don't have to keep all these things bottled inside. We are your friends, Deaother, and we know what you're going through . . . you don't need to be alone all the time, you can join us . . . we don't do much more than fly around in Ellesmera anyway." Everaun said, and Deaother smiled.

"Thank you, you two, now let's get going before King Dathedr begins wondering whether we'll ever return." Deaother said.

It was evening, and Angrenost was still waiting on the eastern shores of Sharktooth for the ships to arrive. He wasn't alone either, he had blended himself into an entire battalion of soldiers, who camouflaged him.

He knew that there would be only one dragon and Rider in Tierm, Fealia and her Rider, Marian. Angrenost knew that Tierm would stand a better chance of defeating Freohr's men if they had a warning that there was an incoming attack, which was why he had a plan.

Their ship was the first one to attack the city, to be followed by the next one. Angrenost didn't know what the idea behind this was, but he had a plan to warn the dragon and Rider of the incoming attack that could destroy their entire city.

"This ships the one which has the ballista in it, ain't it?" Angrenost asked to one of soldiers in a different, drunkard type of accent.

"Aye, it is." The soldier replied in much the same accent. "Ain't seen see ya'around much, where' you been?"

Angrenost raised an eyebrow, though his face was covered with a helmet. "I've been injured, dratted dragon at Beirland, I think it. Nearly lost a leg." Angrenost replied uncertainly.

The man nodded, then said, "You ain't the usual hardy folk type, my man . . . Ya' from the countryside?"

Angrenost nodded, "Was . . . then I got dragged in 'ere." The man didn't seem to want to let him go now.

 _Oh drat! What have I got myself into?_ Angrenost thought.

"Same 'ere man, same 'ere!" The man replied enthusiastically.

 _Better change the topic before he asks me where I am from . . ._ Angrenost thought."So, ya'think these poor folk will stand a chance against us?" Angrenost asked him.

"My man, wha'ever these blokes are, they ain't poor . . . Ya saw the armor of them guards of the Prince guy? Them wore bleedin' golden armor man, an' here we are stuck with them leather jackets." The man said.

"Aye . . ." Angrenost replied, unsure what to say next.

"So, tell me, where you from?" The man asked.

 _Oh blast!_ Angrenost cursed.

"Tell them to stop marching." Zar'rac muttered.

"Army, halt!" His colonel shouted, and his words were echoed by the other captains.  
Zar'rac stared ahead, there was a peculiar smell in the air, which he noticed before the others because of his extremely sensitive nose. He said, "I am scouting ahead, tell them to set up camp . . . and make sure that the Ra'zac and humans are in different tents!"

"Yes sir, right away!" The man replied and saluted him.

Zar'rac then walked ahead, his dark cloak silent. There was hardly any wind in the forest of Du Weldenvarden that night. It was to his advantage. They were nearing the capital, and he wanted to know what had happened of his scouting party which he had sent ahead earlier. The tallest pines in the region towered above him, and he looked up at them, his eyes able to spot them even in the darkness.

 _Elves have been here . . . and so have my men . . ._ Zar'rac thought. He could smell blood, human blood, somewhere nearby. He sniffed again, knowing that he was getting closer, and he saw it. A lone man lay near the base of pine, dead for sure. Zar'rac walked to him and observed his body. There were three huge gashes on his back, which showed that he had been killed by some wild animal in the forest, whatever it was. He bent down and turned around the body, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. The man was the captain of the scouting party.

"Here's the captain, so where are the rest of the men?" Zar'rac murmured to himself, then walked back to his original position and closed his eyes, letting his nose trace the direction towards the corpses of the party.

He was sure that they were dead, they were supposed to return before his attack on odour of decaying corpses was stronger towards the right, which meant that the party was there. Zar'rac turned and walked briskly towards their general direction.  
He didn't have to walk long. Soon, he spotted them, six or seven of them lying dead on the ground. He watched for a while, and he saw the single strokes on some corpses, and no strokes at all in the remaining.

 _They have been killed by a blade or by magic . . . This is the work of elves._ Zar'rac thought.

Tomorrow, the capital would be burnt to the ground, he was sure of it. And he himself would ensure that the king was killed with it. He turned around and walked back towards his army, but he didn't notice a pair of glinting eyes of an elf on him from a platform high up in the trees, waiting for a chance to catch the intruder by surprise. The elf jumped down and stood right behind the Shade, who turned around in surprise. The elf stepped back, his eyes focused on Zar'rac.

"Who are you?" The elf said, suspicious, staring at the Shade, while Zar'rac smirked.

"Gilderien, I take it?" Zar'rac asked, and the elf didn't react immediately.

"Why are you here?" The elf asked.

"Me? . . . Oh, I am here just to . . . destroy your kingdom." Zar'rac said, and the elf got a glint of surprise in his eye before he jumped back, drawing a magnificent sword from his hip. The sword was made of a glistening metal, and had a golden cross guard and hilt.

"Quite frank, aren't you?" Gilderien said, while Zar'rac dug his hands into his pocket.  
"I am . . . I am going to enter Ellesmera, and you are not going to stop me, you hear?" Zar'rac asked him.

"For your own sake, I'll advise you to get away from here as soon as you can." The elf said, his eyes glowing fiercely and his sword held ready.

"Oh, I am not going to fight you, don't worry . . ." Zar'rac smiled at him, then pulled out a small, wooden box from his pocket, which he opened.

It was just what he had wanted, the little parting gift Crugan had given him to use against this very elf, whom he was now facing. He remembered his master telling him how to use it.

 _"I made this from the bark of a Crowcipe tree . . .you know where they are found, I presume?" Crugan had said, while Zar'rac had nodded._

 _"Yes, towards the north, in the Malewoods . . ." Zar'rac had replied. "But they are so rare, I haven't a single one of them till now."_

 _"I was lucky enough to find one . . .This tree has many magical properties, as you know, and if we cut its bark in this shape, and mutter an incantation to it, then it will open and suck the person into it . . . and that person will end up here, where I have remaining part of the bark." Crugan said._

 _"But for whom should I use this?" Zar'rac asked him, and his master laughed._

 _"For that guardian of Ellesmera I wasn't able to cut past the last time I was in Alagaesia . . . vengeance will be delivered to him soon." His master had told him._

Zar'rac smirked at the elf, who was standing still, eyes fixed on Zar'rac.

"Why so serious? . . . Let's toy around for a while . . . here, catch!" Zar'rac said and tossed the box high into the air. The elf looked up, and Zar'rac began to say the incantation.

"A nice trick, Shade, but its not going to . . ." The elf trailed off as the box suddenly lit up, twenty feet in the air. Then, it opened and a purple light glowed from within the box.

"What are you doing?" Gilderien asked him startled, but Zar'rac was silent.

Suddenly, there was blast of light from the box, illuminating the elf, who pointed his palm at the box, his mouth forming words. But, before he could finish what he was saying, there was a loud explosion and the elf, and the box vanished, leaving behind a huge amount of smoke.

 _That was a too easy . . . his commitment and suspicion was his undoing . . . Master, he is all yours . . ._ Zar'rac thought, but he knew that the old elf would have some other tricks up his sleeve.

In the darkness of Mani's caves, suddenly light began to glow in a seemingly huge hall built just outside the mountain. The darkness was swept away as spirits materialized. Many, many of them, materialized and coalesced, slowly forming one body. The illumination coming from them slowly reduced, and finally stopped completely as one figure materialized in front of them, wearing dark robes.

It was Orúm, and he smirked wickedly. "Stupid Rider . . . You made a big mistake, trying to take me on . . . now, I'll make you regret for your actions . . ." He spoke to the air, and then bent down muttered something in the Ancient Language.

A ring light suddenly leapt up in front of him, and within, it suddenly began to splash liquid of some sort. Orúm crouched and placed his head inside. The dark liquid was cool to touch, but it itched and irritated his eyes, and he wished that he had kept them closed. But as unpleasant as the sensation was, only his head was enduring it.

His head appeared out of the ground in another, extremely distant place, and he spoke to the thousands of men waiting there. It was huge mess hall, and in the centre of it was a dark hole, filled with wild magic, where Orúm's head was now present.

"It's time!" He said, and the men jumped as they saw his head appear out of the hole. "Follow me!"

Orúm pulled his head back then, and he was sure that the men were already getting into lines and marching towards the hole.

Jiarha and Eridor flapped incessantly, flying back towards Galfni.

 _Ephian are you sure that he is going to return to the well?_ Jiarha asked him.

 _Yes, I am perfectly sure . . . that's where his army is going to come from . . ._ Ephian said hurriedly.

 _What army?_ Eridor asked him.

 _Don't you see? . . . Elva was transported to another place through that well, so people could travel the other way, that is, to our land from that well. Which means . . . it is a magical shortcut to Alagaesia from another region, from where Orúm has come . . ._ Ephian replied.

 _I guess that makes some sense . . . although I still stink it's a load of nonsense for the most part._ Eridor replied, and Ephian shot him an angry look.

 _There's the mountain . . ._ Jiarha said, and dived, while Eridor followed.

They flew downwards for a minute, after Jiarha suddenly stopped, flapping and looking down uncertainly. Eridor stopped as well, and stared at Jiarha.

 _What's wrong?_ Eridor asked.  
 _I see . . . people down there . . ._ Jiarha said, and Eridor looked down as well.

 _By the heavens, you are right . . . both of you . . ._ He has called his army. Eridor them, thousands and thousands of men marched towards Galfni, continuously pouring out from the hall.

Their purpose was just one, complete annihilation and destruction. Orúm stood at his head, a smug smirk on his face.

 _Try to stop me now Rider._

A couple of days had passed since Worian's return now, and the last Vaelia had contacted Deaother, he had been leaving Tierm. Now, Vaelia stood inside Worian's room, staring at him. He seemed to be better now, all of his injuries were healed and he was regaining from his earlier terror.

"Why did you leave, Worian?" Vaelia asked him softly, staring at the elf who was lying bare-chested on the bed in front of her.

The two of them were alone in the room, and Worian was lying with his eyes closed.  
"I . . . wanted a new beginning, a place where I could start anew . . . after all the misunderstandings that . . . took place here." Worian said, and Vaelia looked down, scratching her chin. She remembered them quite well.

"So . . . how are things with you? . . ." Worian asked her after a pause.

"Things are . . . fine, not great but fine." Vaelia said, still scratching her chin.

"Are you trying to distract yourself purposely?" Worian asked her suddenly, and she looked up to see him watching her.

"I . . . no, of course not . . . I was just trying to . . . never mind." Vaelia said awkwardly, staring at the elf whom she had liked so much for so long, but everything had been torn away within moments. "I was just wondering when Deaother would be coming back . . . he was about to leave the last I contacted him."

"Deaother? . . . He's not here?" Worian asked her, and she shook her head. "Then where is he?"

"He had to go Tierm for something. I don't know what exactly, but some sort of Rider conference." Vaelia told him.

Worian raised his eyebrows, "But he isn't a dragon Rider . . . then why?"

"That's what I don't know . . . Everaun just told him to accompany them to Tierm." Vaelia replied.

Worian nodded, then closed his eyes again. There was silence between them for a while, and Vaelia stared at the ground, thinking how she would confess her feelings to Deaother, but she suddenly noticed Worian's breathing becoming increasingly stressed, and faster. She looked up to see him sweating, and staring at the ceiling.

"Is something wrong?" Vaelia asked him hurriedly, concerned. He turned to her, and she noticed a strange look on his face, that of a person who had finally accepted a bitter truth.

"Vaelia . . . They are coming for us . . ." Worian said suddenly.

"What?" Vaelia said, getting up and hurrying to his side, perturbed by what he had just said.

"Vaelia . . . this is just temporary, any day now they will march over to Ellesmera and attack us . . . Vaelia, they have Lady Enaevia on their side, she knows everything about our government, about our kingdom . . . she knows all our secret locations, and all the places where we elves can seek sanctuary . . ." Worian told her, his voice having hardly any emotion in it.

"Hush, Worian . . . you are just blabbering, its not-"

"Its happening, Vaelia, every moment we waste is too precious . . . they are coming, they are very close . . . Oh . . . Oh no . . . Vaelia . . ." Worian said suddenly, and he seemed to have gone pale with fear.

"Worian, relax, nothing is going to . . ." Vaelia began to say, but for some reason she was unable to say anything to console him, her words had stopped short in her mouth. She couldn't lie in the Ancient Language.

"You see, its not true . . . Vaelia, the Ra'zac . . . they . . . they can smell us, they can smell elves, humans, even dwarves and Urgals . . . What if I . . . I just led them to us?" Worian asked her, and raised his hand to his face and rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he had just said.

Vaelia went pale as well, what Worian had said was true, he had led them to Ellesmera.  
"Vaelia?" Worian asked her.

"My friend," Vaelia said, empathy brewing inside her for Worian. She sat down next to him, on his bed, and grabbed his hand in her own, knowing that there was only one way to comfort him.

"Worian . . . don't blame yourself . . . its-"

"Vaelia," Worian said suddenly, his voice high pitched and panicky. "I . . . I failed us all . . . I failed . . ."

Vaelia knew there was hardly anything she could do now, except reach forward and grab his face in her arms and pull it close to her, hugging it.

"Don't say that . . . we aren't even sure of it yet." Vaelia said, but suddenly something happened. "What was that?" Vaelia muttered, looking around.

The ground trembled beneath then, and Worian looked up at her, then jumped forward and embraced her, and pushing her off the bed with him and to the ground, covering her from the top.

Not a second later, the roof of the room collapsed, broken apart by a boulder thrown from a huge catapult just outside the city.

The attack on Ellesmera had begun.

In three different regions, in three different places, battles were to begin against the oblivious and unprepared. And at all the three points, great slaughter would take place.

Vaelia held tightly onto Worian as rubble fell down onto them, unable to believe what she was seeing. There were two, no, three Lethrblaka flying overhead.

Ephian watched through Jiarha's eyes as the army reached Galfni and entered it without any resistance, then disappeared down a tunnel, knowing that the tunnel probably led to Tronjheim.

The ship came as close to the shore as was possible, and soon, Angrenost had boarded it, along with the other soldiers.

"I tell ya'man . . . This place is gonna get blasted hard." Angrenost heard the man next to him say.

And miles and miles away, four dragons flew above five ships, halfway through their journey.

The greatest battle in the history of Alagaesia had begun, and now, its fate rested in the hands of the untested, inexperienced but courageous.

The tides turned in Crugan's favor, who just watched from his high seat, while the woman in front of him screamed in pain.

"Rider, Alagaesia is doomed, there is nothing you or your partner can do to save it . . . do you hear me?"


	55. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54: The Great Sea**

The ships seemingly rocked up and down alternately, and gently, as they sailed, moving swiftly. A week into the voyage, time already seemed to be at a standstill. Out here, in the sea, everything seemed so slow to everyone who was aboard the five ships.

Most of the people on the ships were of quick lives, where there was no question as to how they would pass their time. Now, almost everyone was asking the other person the same question, "Now, what shall we do?"

In the first ship from the right, the humans were mostly sitting idly, either eating and drinking, a little sad about the fact that they were away from their families, or discussing what they thought would happen soon. Some of the younger men practiced their skills with the weapons, while some played cards or just stood staring at the sea, watching the waves, and the occasional fish that would appear.

The sea was full of beautiful fish, and some were quite intelligent, yet curious, which was their undoing. Red in color, and about half a foot long, they would come to the surface of the water to look at the ships in curiosity, only to be caught by the fishermen, dwarves or Urgals.

In the second ship from the right, the dwarves sharpened their axes, or cleaned their armor. Most of it wasn't shiny anymore because of the salt that constantly got deposited on it's cool surface, and because of the rust, from the water, that was constantly eating away the greatly crafted armor. The younger dwarves sat and played some sort of a game with their fingers, or practiced and honed their skills with the blade. The older ones discussed the politics of their kingdom, and learnt more about the dwarves from other clans.

The fifth ship from the right, the last ship, that bore the Urgals, was full of activity as two warriors wrestled and fought each other just for the fun of it. A crowd gathered and watched the two great beasts, cheering whenever one of them managed to make a particularly unique move against the opponent. Some of them were sitting and cleaning their horns, making them shine in the sun.

In the fourth ship, there were elves. Silent, they just sat the watched the sea, or looked up at the dragons that flew along the ships, and smiled. Most of them meditated, exploring the ocean below through the eyes of the fish, wincing as they felt their fright when the fish were caught and gasped for water. Some of them sparred, of practiced the use of the bow and arrow.

And finally, the third ship, the ship in the center, the largest ship of all, which had the Riders and some selected people from all the races. This ship was almost twice the size of the other ships, and could accommodate three dragons at one time. A blue and green dragon were currently resting there, fast asleep and tired from flying so long.

A couple of young elven Riders sparred, moving gracefully, their movements a blur at times. The two dragons watched, and laughed as one of the elves tripped and fell, and his sword was knocked out of his hand by the opponent, who then smiled and gave him her hand, pulling him to his feet.

And so, the five ships sailed on, going away from their homeland, and slowly coming closer to their destination, a land only heard in legends. A land about which most people in Alagaesia knew nothing. No one on the ships knew what to expect, but they were all spirited because they believed in their great leader. They believed in the Lead Rider.

Arya sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the fairth in her hand, which she had made so many decades ago. She smiled as she remembered the time. Deaother was just a little boy sitting on Eragon's shoulders, who was standing next to Arya. They were both wearing white robes, it had been an occasion of some sort. Murtagh and Nasuada stood a little behind, arm-in-arm, looking at the dragons, who were all flying in the air with their children.

 _We have left almost all of this behind . . . I just hope we'll return someday . . . the sooner the better, for me._ Arya thought, and to her slight irritation she didn't get a reply from Valinor or Eragon. Eragon was in his trance, and Valinor was lying outside.

She put the fairth aside and rubbed her arms, unable to think of what to do next. Looking around, she couldn't find anything interesting. It was just a small room, with a table right in front of the bed, a couple of chairs, to the side two chests, and to the left of the bed, a door which led outside the room.

 _Maybe Eragon has something interesting . . ._ Arya thought, then tried entering Eragon's mind through her necklace, but to her immense surprise, she couldn't do it. She tried once more, but once again, she couldn't find the pathway to his conscience. Worried whether the enchantment had stopped working, she stood up and went over to the asleep Eragon, who was lying on the other side of the double bed.

It had been quite difficult for Arya to rest, and get into her trance for the past week, likewise for Eragon, because of the extremely annoying rising and falling of the ship along with the waves. The season was changing, it was getting colder, and thus there was wind flowing rapidly from the east towards the west, making the waves aggressive. Thus, it was quite a rare event if either of them were able to fall asleep, so Arya didn't want to wake Eragon.

The lead Rider, her mate, was lying with his left hand outstretched to the side, the place usually occupied by Arya, but his right hand was on his chest, which was rising and falling almost along with the ship. It was dark in the room, hindering Arya's vision slightly, because there was hardly any light, it was a few hours from dawn. But she shook her head and reached forward anyway, gently grabbing Eragon's right hand and slowly lifting it, holding it with both of her own.

 _Where is Aren?_ Arya thought, a little astonished and curious. _Where is his ring? He doesn't usually remove it . . . I wonder what happened._ Arya placed his hand back gently, but sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at Eragon's face. He was smiling.

 _I wonder what he is dreaming about . . . I can't find out now anyway, so better leave it . . ._ Arya thought, and turned away, beginning to get up. When she rose halfway, a hand came from the side and pulled her back swiftly, surprising her. But she grabbed it and pushed it aside, then flipped back, ending up on the other side of the bed. Her hair fell in front of her, hindering her vision, and she hurriedly pushed it aside to see Eragon staring at her, stunned.

"What's wrong with you? Jumping over my . . . I mean, me." Eragon said, and Arya could see that his hand was still where she had pushed it when he had surprised her.

"I just reacted on instinct; we are going to need those, aren't we?" Arya told him, as he got to a sitting position and stared at her, eyebrow raised.

"We are . . ." Eragon said, watching her. Arya couldn't help but notice a glimmer of mischief come to his eyes. then suddenly, he stretched his arms wide and asked, "What do your instincts tell you to do now?"

Arya laughed and rushed forward, into his embrace. "They tell me to trust you."

"What? You didn't trust me earlier? Eragon asked her, amused as he wrapped his arms around her back and rolled around, ending up on top of her.

"Maybe not . . . not as much as now anyway, now that I know you are in your sense . . ." Arya said, as Eragon laid his head on her shoulder, and she placed both her hands on his head, brushing his hair playfully. "You had nearly lost your senses some time ago."

"Do you want me to lose my senses again?" Eragon whispered, and tightened his grip around, making her grin. "I could if you want, and then you would follow . . ."

Arya smiled as he looked up at her, then reached forward and kissed him, holding his head with her hands. Feeling fire grow in her heart, she pulled his head closer, and felt his grip tighten around her, heat growing in both their bodies. Arya let go of him when she ran out of breath, but he pulled her back, and she couldn't resist.

They kissed each other again, and Arya rolled, lying on top of him, but not separating. She reached out to his mind, his conscience accepting hers joyfully, and they both merged, two beings become one. She could feel his ecstasy, and she knew he could feel hers. They were both lost in the bliss of each other's emotions, as they had been so many times before, but each time brought something new to them.

But the moment was over too soon. It passed, and they separated again, this time completely breathless, their minds returning to their earlier states, although still slightly connected to each other. Eragon stared at her, and she at him, both with their mouths hanging open to breathe more. "You still are . . . much the same . . . I thought a hundred years would . . . change you . . ." Arya told him, and he shook his head.

"You haven't seen me . . . properly . . . for some time now . . . you have only seen my face . . . nothing else" Eragon told her, and she felt her face burn red, but she kept staring at him, only to see him grin. "How long . . . has it been, since we, you know . . .?"

"Not that long . . . some months . . ." Arya told him, and he gave her a pained look.

"That's quite a . . . long time." Eragon told her, and she chuckled, rubbing her waist.

"For you." Arya told him, and felt his hand move downwards from her back. She smiled and sat up on top of him. "Eragon, not now . . . we are in a ship, and our apprentices are here, I don't want them to think of us like this."

Eragon stared at her, bemused, "If not now, then when?"

Arya stared at him for a while, then shook her head and said, "Later, but not now, I don't want to do it, Eragon . . . I just don't."

"Why? Have I grown too thin?" Eragon asked her, and she shook her head. "Or have you grown too fat?"

"Oh, be silent, you are the one to talk? Weren't you the one who would usually spent all afternoons and evenings buried in parchments and books? I am pretty sure that must have removed the flat belly you once had." Arya told him, and he shook his head, laughing.

"Fortunately for us, no . . ." Eragon said, then poked her stomach with his finger, surprising her. It felt extremely ticklish. Arya slapped him lightly in reply, but his eyes widened and he poked her again, looking at her stomach. "Hellfire! You have grown fat!"

Arya looked down and flinched as he pinched her stomach, and wobbled the flab that he had grabbed. Arya hit his hand aside, "I am a woman, Eragon, what do you expect? I will have that much, its my tendency."

Eragon chortled as he stared at her, "You are becoming old, Arya."

"So are you!" Arya retaliated, feeling annoyed. "But . . . nothing doing, but you have the mind of a thousand year old, what about that?" Arya asked him, prodding his head with her finger.

"That's just an exemption, I am the only one who has it, the only one in Alagaesia at least, so . . . you can't count that." Eragon told her.

Arya laughed at him, "You are saying it wrong, you idiot, that's exactly why it should be counted, and if you would have had a body according to your mind, Deaother's grandchildren's grandchildren would be lifting you up and taking you from one place to another right now."

Eragon glared at her, but she knew he was faking it, but suddenly he pushed her to the side. She laughed as she fell on the side of the bed, and he came over her, pulling the blanket, "So . . . would you be so kind to show this . . . old, weak elf, what it means to be young and powerful?"

Arya stared at him as his hand came to her knee, and slowly began to come up, but he grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him back, saying, "After he takes a bath, I can smell salt everywhere."

"How can you smell salt?" Eragon asked her, sniffing, "I can't!"

Arya stared at him then hit her forehead, "I meant, I could taste salt . . . when I kissed you." She explained when he seemed to be confused again. His eyes brightened when she said so, and he stood up, stretching.

"Fine, enough talk . . . we need to-"

"Go, and take a bath, right now." Arya said, pointing at the door.

Eragon let his hands drop to the side limply, and gave her an irritated look, "Let me finish, my dear, its-"

"Off you go, we can discuss later . . . fast, darling, don't keep me waiting . . ." Arya told him, and his shoulders drooped as he turned around and headed for the door.

He stopped when he reached the door, then took a step back, saying, "Where are the baths?"

"Go down from the stairs and turn right . . . I mean left, right is for women." Arya said hurriedly, and he took another step back.

"Now I know where to find you if you are missing." Eragon said, and she knew that he was grinning.

"Right, you do . . . and I would kick you out if you did come in, now go!" Arya said, but instead he turned around and jumped onto her, pushing her onto the bed.

"Sorry . . . but you are right, I do feel lazy, which is why I am going to sleep, and so are you . . . so get comfortable." Eragon told her as she tried to push him aside, but he grabbed both her hands and wrapped them around his neck, and himself reached down, his hands on her shoulders, and kissed her cheek.

"Alright fine . . . sleep, but let me go . . ." Arya said, but she felt Eragon's arms suddenly racing across her back, as if searching for something.

"Not so fast, my heart!" Eragon told her, and she winced as his head landed on her shoulder again, but this time his hand found what they were looking for. Arya gasped as her gown slowly began to come off.

 _Saphira?_ A voice asked as she pressed her snout against a glowing, red eldunari, joy filling her mind as she heard it.

 _Thorn, how are you?_ She asked him, and his mind bloomed into a lake of happiness when he heard her voice.

 _It is you! I have been waiting forever for you to contact me, where are you now?_ Have you reached Alalea? Thorn asked her earnestly.

 _I think we are still somewhere in the middle of the sea, but we moving ahead gradually, flying swiftly . . . and Valinor says 'hello'._ Saphira said and Valinor waved his tail at her and pointed at the eldunari with it.

 _That's it?_ Thorn asked her. _That's all he is saying?_

 _Well, it's a little obvious he is . . . jealous, he can't contact his own mate, so it's not surprising._ Saphira said, staring at Valinor, who was looking at the Jrake and Sianelle, who were laughing and fighting at the same time, for some reason.

 _The poor fellow must be lonely . . . call him, we can all talk, I'll call Draumr as well._ Thorn said, and Saphira growled, catching Valinor's attentions. She nodded at him, and telling him to come closer. He obeyed, crawling over to her, then flopping to the ground and pressing his snout to Thorn as well.

Suddenly, Draumr's voice came from the eldunari, making Valinor jump. _Draumr? I thought, this was-_

 _Father let me into his mind, so . . .I can talk to you and mother directly._ Draumr said, and she certainly seemed joyful to hear Valinor's voice.

 _How is it there? . . . and you? How are you?_ Valinor asked her tenderly.

 _Oh, I am fine, everything is good . . . nothing interesting here, unlike you, becoming a great traveler of legends and all._ Draumr told him, her voice a little sulky.

 _I assure you, there is nothing here except water, water and more water . . . no sign of land, except the mountains of the Spine, behind us. If not for Jrake and Sianelle, and Saphira, I would've died of boredom. Oh, and Arya of course . . . but she and I sleep at different times nowadays, we have to take it in turns._ Valinor told her, and Saphira was sure she heard her daughter giggle.

 _Looks like you aren't missing me that much, now, are you?_ She asked him amusedly, and he faked a startled whelp.

 _Of course I am missing you! I feel as if I left the better half of myself back there . . ._ Valinor told her, his voice sad.

 _Draumr, aren't you even going to greet your mother, so engrossed are you in each other?_ Saphira asked her sharply, making Draumr jump.

 _Oh you're there, I didn't realize . . . Mother, things seem to be going great there._ Draumr said simply, making Saphira snort. Things certainly were going great because nothing out of the ordinary had happened yet, it was just as Valinor had said: Water and water everywhere.

 _I am sure things will change by the time you reach Alalea._ Thorn put in. _I wish I could have been there on the ship as well, with you, and fought alongside all of you . . . That would have been good, we would have been unstoppable._

 _That's true . . . I really don't think Eragon did the right thing by separating us._ Valinor said suddenly, much to Saphira's astonishment. He had never doubted Eragon before, or even if he did, he never said it with such scorn.

 _Valinor, he did the right thing . . . look at it from his eyes, he needed someone back here to keep things peaceful._ Draumr said gently. _We don't want another Galbatorix._

 _That is . . . hardly possible. The other elders are there, the council is there . . . they could have handled things, and all of us could have gone together, but now . . .we are divided, and much weaker than before._ Valinor retaliated, suddenly angry.

 _Enough, we are not here to argue, I just wanted to enjoy a loving conversation with the keeper of my heart._ Thorn said, making Saphira grin. _And not listen to you two fight, especially through me. Save it for the moment when you meet._

 _Point taken, father._ Draumr said, her voice submissive. It was clear that Thorn had thrown her a glare. _I have to go now anyway, my apprentices are waking up, I better go and . . . check on them . . . take care, mother, Valinor . . . I love you._

 _Love you too._ Valinor replied, while Saphira let smoke come out of her nostrils. Valinor stared at the eldunari for a while, then said. _I think Bindroen needs some rest, I better take her place . . . talk to you later, Thorn._ He turned to Saphira and growled, then without a backward glance, leapt into the air, flapping higher and higher. Saphira watched as Bindroen, one of the two younger dragons, nodded and dived, landing on the ship, and Valinor took her place in the air.

 _Now that's a . . . loving goodbye, don't you think?_ Thorn asked her, amused.

 _You're talking as if you have never got one._ Saphira told him.

 _Oh, what can I say? . . . My mate is currently halfway out to sea._ Thorn replied in an amused way.

 _Bah, she can still say goodbye when, and how, she wants to, you know._ Saphira said. _And anyway, its almost dawn, I have to wake Eragon and take Jrake's place in the air . . ._

 _Ah, just say that you have to go, no need to explain like that, but whatever you do, be careful . . . I want to see you just the way you are right now, when you return to me, fine?_ Thorn said, and she could feel his concern through his heart of hearts. She smiled.

 _Sure, my mate, and don't do anything stupid while I am away . . . like snapping at that herd of horses, who were so courageous that they charged at you, instead of running away._ Saphira laughed as she felt embarrassment in him.

 _They didn't charge at me . . . oh leave it, my students are here as well . . . take care and talk to me tonight, you hardly have other things to do anyway._ Thorn told her, and she agreed. A moment later, Saphira felt his consciousness fade away from hers as she slowly pulled herself back from the eldunari, then looked up at the other dragons.

And so, the ships sailed on, the mountains of the Spine hardly visible behind, the sea stretching like the bare sand dunes of a desert, infinity of miles ahead and to the sides. The only thing that ever changed in the sea were the waves, otherwise in was unchangeable.

But the same could not be said of the land, and as the Lead Rider slowly sailed away from his own home. He left behind the place where he was needed the most, seemingly abandoning it to its own fate. The greatest defender of the land was gone, off to save a strange land, and to help someone he didn't even know.

Far, far ahead of the ships, lightning and thunder was finally cleared, and sunlight broke past the clouds, only to see creatures flying and running across the land, their coming a sign of evil, their breathe a stench of disgust. The creatures marched to war, coming to defeat the very person who had defeated them so many years ago.


	56. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55: Ballistic warning**

Angrenost stood straight, along with the soldiers around him, impossible to be detected among them as they all seemed the same because of their uniforms. The prince waited patiently for the ship to start sailing, it wasn't as if he had much of the choice. The man whom he had met earlier was still next him.

"Tell ya' what! I think them blokes will fight back hard." The man said.

 _For heaven's sake, will you shut it?_ Angrenost thought, exasperated, then turned to him, suppressing his temper.

"They will, and so must we . . ." Angrenost replied, his voice controlled.

"Well said . . . we need more men like you." Someone else said suddenly from behind, and Angrenost turned around to see a man there, wearing heavy chainmail. He was obviously a captain of some sort.

"Sir!" The man next to him said, and saluted.

"Thank you, sir!" Angrenost replied.

The captain, or whoever he was, nodded and walked off. Angrenost stared after him, looking at his similar attire.

 _Looks like he will be the first one on my tail if I do something . . . wrong . . . but will he abandon his ship for it?_ Angrenost thought.

As soon as he was out of sight, the man next to him said, "Oh man! Man! You've yer'self in his good terms! Your life's kickin' now!"

Angrenost smiled. Whatever his life was, it certainly was kicking him good.

Leliana sat on her wooden chair, and rested, having finished her work for the morning. She had got up some time ago, and spent nearly an hour preparing the flour, which she had to turn into bread and sell in her shop, along with fruits, and other things.

 _As usual . . ._ Leliana thought, wishing that there would be more customers that day. She was hoping to get enough money to travel to Carvahall, having heard many things about the city. It was said that the capital had the greatest shops, the greatest vendors, and the greatest goods in the Broddring Kingdom.

 _Hope they are right . . . because they are going to have someone new in their ranks soon._ Leliana smiled as she thought about her old dream of moving to the capital, which had resurfaced in the past few weeks.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, then exhaled, letting out all the air, savoring the feeling of relaxation.

"Liana . . ." A old, weak voice suddenly said, and Leliana hurriedly jumped up. She turned around to see Heslant, who was walking unsteadily towards her from his room, running a hand along the back of his head.

"You are up quite early today." Leliana said, surprised.

"Yes . . . I thought you could use some help." Heslant told her, then gestured at flour on the table.

"Well . . . how can you help me?" Leliana asked him, and he got a small smile on his face.

"You are forgetting, child, that I am a magician . . . well, a Rider, in fact . . ." Heslant said, then stretched a hand out to her for support. She grabbed him hurriedly, and he leaned onto her, then raised his right hand, which was glistening. "You do things the same way . . . everyday, so . . . I think we can do things differently today . . . are you interested?"

Leliana stared at him, and she was pleased to hear the enthusiasm in his voice. He had been extremely happy since the lead Rider's visit, and now, for the first time, he was offering proper help, instead of just advice.

"Sure, I am interested in what you can do . . ." Leliana said, curious as well.

"Listen . . . this is how it is going to be done . . . I will enter your mind, and we will use our energy to mix the flour and water, is that fine?" Heslant asked her.

"I . . . well, I am sure I'll understand when we start doing it." Leliana said, and instantly, she felt an alien being in her conscious. She nearly panicked as she felt her thoughts being pushed aside. She heard Heslant muttered something and ahead of her all the work that she was supposed to do was, all of a sudden, being done by all the utensils on their own.

"But . . . this is not what I wanted to do when I woke early . . ." Heslant muttered, and Leliana stared at him, her eyebrow raised. "I . . . have a confession to make, and . . . its not good news." Heslant said.

When she didn't reply, he sighed and continued, "Everything that has a beginning, dear child, has an end . . . My work, my sole purpose and reason for survival was warning the lead Rider . . . and I had some more bonuses along the way as I met you, and it turned out that the lead Rider was my great nephew . . . but now that the deed is done . . . it is time for me to go . . . forever."

"What?" Leliana asked sharply, unable to understand what he was saying.

"Child . . . My time is coming to an end . . . I have a feeling that today will . . . change our lives, particularly yours, forever." Heslant said.

Leliana didn't reply, but stared at him. There was something extremely different that morning, not at all like the mornings that had gone by earlier. Today was different, Leliana could almost feel it, and it seemed, so could Heslant.

Angrenost crossed his arms, and took a deep breath.

 _This is it . . ._

The ship had finally set sail towards Tierm, and the men were shouting and yelling, singing songs or just waving their arms like lunatics. Angrenost stared at them, surprised at their barbaric nature. The man next to him was loudest among them all.

"Die y'all! Die! We're gonna destroy yer homes, and burn 'em to the ground!" Angrenost tried to cover his ear with his hand as the men shouted.

The ship sailed on, slowly at first, then gathering speed as the wind blew faster when they came out of the cover of the island. Angrenost looked around, and spotted dozens more of these ships sailing towards the city, but they were in the lead.

He looked around, searching for the ballista, and spotted two, one at each ends of the deck, and three more directly in the centre, near the railings.

 _This might just work . . . I only need to find out where Fealia and Marian are . . ._ Angrenost thought then walked forward, going closer and closer to the ballista.

"Hey, where're you goin'? The fellow behind him said, but Angrenost ignored him and continued to walk forwards.

He hurried on, pushing past yelling men, and finally managed to reach the edge of the deck, his hand on the wooden support, probably meant to stop drunk men from falling into the water.

 _Now . . . All I have to do is find those two . . ._ Angrenost thought and sighed. This was going to be long journey, and a difficult fight.

He stared ahead at the city then, wondering what he would do after he set off the ballista.

 _They'll probably realize that I am not one of them . . . I might as well jump into the ocean make a dash for the city . . . that's all I can do._ Angrenost thought, but suddenly, he heard someone muttering something behind him.

He turned around, and to his horror, saw the captain talking to that pestering man. Angrenost inched closer, curious, and hid himself behind a couple of large and tall brutes, who wielded huge weapons.

". . . that man, where did he go?" The captain was saying, and other man was staring at him fearfully.

"Err . . . He walked off somewhere, I dunno . . . I think it, he's over there . . ." The man said, trying to speak properly, but making several mistakes in the process anyway, and pointed in the direction where Angrenost had gone.

"I see . . . I'll go check . . ." The captain said, but the man stopped him.

"Sir, why do you . . . ?" The man asked uncertainly.

"I got a . . . message from Freohr," The captain said, taking pauses as he looked around. " . . . that man might be the prince, because he sword bore the seal of the Red Infantry . . . they are not supposed to be on the ship, and when he escaped, he had killed one of those men." The captain explained, and the man nodded.

Angrenost hurried drew his sword and looked at it. Sure enough, there was a large, red shining symbol on the cross guard and scabbard of the sword.

 _I need to get rid of this . . . There must be another sword somewhere around here . . ._ Angrenost thought, and looked around, sheathing his sword. _Oh, to hell with it, I am going to get off this ship soon anyway, I'll just need to keep away from that captain and the countryside fellow . . ._ Angrenost stepped backward, then turned around, keeping his hand on his sword, hiding the symbol it had.

He walked around, heading for one of the ballista near the end of the deck, pushing past men. The ballista was placed next to a small cabin, which didn't allow it to be turned to the right, but it provided Angrenost just the cover he needed.

On the other side of the ship, the captain was still searching for him. Angrenost stopped and took a look at Tierm. They were close to the city now, close enough to be identified as enemy ships. But it would take too long for the soldiers to react, and by the time they did, it would already be too late for them to stop the city from being overrun.

But Angrenost had a remedy for that, and he was just about to put his plan into action. Hurrying forward, he reached the ballista, and then loaded it with a bolt which was lying in a small bag just near it. The bag was full of the bolts.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Someone asked from behind him, but Angrenost ignored him. He quickly took aim, then shot the bolt, hoping against hope that it would work. The bolt soared through the air, speeding through the air towards the city of Tierm. He, and almost everyone on the ship watched it go, and a few moments later, it struck its target.

 _Perfect!_

The arrow had hit the walls of the castle of Tierm, on the upper floors, penetrating into the wall of the rooms on the floor of the Governor himself.

 _This will alert them for sure . . ._ Angrenost thought, and smiled. He had achieved what he had wanted to, he had warned the city of the coming attack. But as he thought about the attack, his own situation returned to him. He gulped.

"There! Catch him! He's the bloody prince of the kingdom!" Someone shouted, and Angrenost knew it was the captain.

 _Blast you!_ Angrenost cursed, and without second thoughts, he climbed onto the railings in front of the ballista, and jumped off, feet first. Behind him, many arrows struck the wooden floor and the ballista. Angrenost plummeted downward, supposedly towards the ocean, but suddenly . . .

 _Thump!_

 _What in the world?_ Angrenost wondered as his feet hit solid wood, and he lost his balance with the impact. He had fallen onto a small, raised boat, which was to be used to get to the shore, or to escape in the case of emergencies.

 _Well . . . at least I am not in the water . . ._ Angrenost thought, but there was another dilemma. How was he to get out of there? The men above him would realize that he hadn't fallen into the water as they wouldn't hear any sound of water splashing.

Angrenost looked around, searching for a way out, and suddenly, he found it. There were many circular portholes, to the right, along the side of the ship, probably for the various compartments of the ship. One of them was very close, just out of arm's reach. He would be able to escape only if he would be able to somehow climb into them.

 _There has to be a way to get into them . . ._ Angrenost thought, then took a look towards Tierm. The city wasn't close enough for him to swim to, which meant that he would have to remain on the ship until they were close enough.

He considered taking the boat, but he realized that he wouldn't get far. The archers would shoot him with ease before he had gone even halfway towards the city. He looked around again, at the portholes, thinking, and within a minute he knew exactly what to do. He looked up again, to see people swearing at him. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't shoot at him since the railings hindered the way in which they held the bow.

 _I better hurry . . ._ Angrenost thought, then drew his sword and pierced it into the side of the ship, a little ahead of him. He pushed it in deeper, and deeper, a little more than halfway, then held it tightly with both his hands, and swung himself around with all his force.

His cloak billowed behind him, and his arms burned with the stress, and pain shot through the side of his body when he hit the wall, hard. Then, he placed his legs into the porthole, and grabbed the hole with his right hand. With his left, he pulled his sword out, then climbed inside the room.

 _Well . . . I am in . . . Now, I will again have to resort to running, as if this wasn't tiring enough._ Angrenost thought.

Marian watched from the roof of the towers as a ballista flew towards the castle. She traced it back to its source, a peculiar ship, which seemed to be filled with armored men.

 _Pirates? . . . There's a strong possibility, those thieving roaches have kept their heads low in the past few years, I'd hoped that we had scared them off earlier._ Marian thought, recalling the time when she, had her sister Illeria, along with their dragons, had chased them back to their holdings, and set all their ships on fire, and killed their leader. She was surprised that they had managed to band together in such great numbers, because she could see more ships coming towards the cities as well.

But pirates never sent a warning, which clearly said 'We are attacking your city, try and fight us or die.'

 _And they picked the wrong timing as well._ Marian thought. Fealia was away, hunting, and Marian hoped that she would be back, but she had another surprise for those toothless warts.

She hurried to the trapdoor, and descended down the ladder, then hurried towards the dragon hold, just as the bolt hit the castle. She could not have stopped it anyway, not without Fealia's help.

She ran to the dragon hold, and entered it. She smiled. _Looks like they are ready . . ._

In front of her stood a huge, silver dragoness, preparing to take off, and the dragon's Rider, wearing silver clothes, and a similarly colored sword on her hip.

"What was that, Marian?" The Rider asked her, just as Marian entered the room.

"Pirates, they are attacking the city . . . I'll need your help, both of you, to take them down . . . Fealia still hasn't returned . . ." Marian said, and the Rider shook her head.

 _She'll be back._ The dragon said, and Marian nodded.

"Just like old times?" The Rider asked, and smiled.

"Just like old times." She agreed.

"Well, let's show them that we haven't been sitting idle either!" The Rider said, and the dragon roared and took off.

Marian stared at them, watching them fly up, then turn westwards.

 _Good luck, Illeria and Lenora._

Angrenost kicked the locked door in front of him, and ran out, his sword drawn. He could hear armored boots racing down from the deck, hurrying towards his direction. Blood pumped faster through his body as he broke into a full sprint, swiftly moving down a corridor.

"Prince! You aren't leaving here alive! You hear me?!" The captain shouted, but he sounded as if he was on the other side of the ship.

"Go to hell!" Angrenost replied and ran on, moving swiftly through the passage. The sound of the boots was coming closer, and Angrenost could his own heart pumping faster than the speed at which he was running.

"Let's see if your precious Dragons and Riders can save you!" The captain shouted, and Angrenost looked back. The captain and two other men were entering the passage, and he was at the end of it.

"Oh they will, and you don't want to draw their attention towards you . . ." Angrenost shouted back, then ran faster, turning left, then right, again right, then again left and moving straight. His legs burnt, and his breath began to come in gasps, and his speed also reduced, but he ran on.

"Is this all you can do? Run like a coward? It seems that every Alagaesian that we run into will also try to escape from us . . . Your father would be proud of you, Prince, I'll tell you that, because even he won't be able to run for as long as you have." The captain shouted, and Angrenost stopped running.

"Oh, you are going to wish you hadn't said that, you wretch." Angrenost said, holding his sword tightly as he felt what he always did when someone insulted his family. It was rage. Anger had begun to bubble in his mind, and he turned around and drew his sword, waiting for the captain and his men to come. He stood at the end of the passage, his eyes staring straight ahead.

The captain burst ran into the view, followed by two more of his men. They stopped as soon as they saw him, a little surprise on their faces. The captain was the first one to recover, although Angrenost didn't really care.

"Ah . . . so the little prince has decided to try and fight us, how cute." The captain taunted, making a sad face. "Now, come on, don't try your luck, you won't defeat us. Even if you did, which is quite impossible, you won't get anywhere. We are still out at sea, and my men are everywhere."

"I suppose you foreigners are all talk and no walk, I expected you to charge at me like the hooligans that you undoubtedly are." Angrenost replied with a smirk.

"And what are you then? Stealing my men's clothes and armor? And food?" The captain asked back.

"The clothes are mine . . ." Angrenost said, taking off his helm, "But as for the armor, I am deeply grateful for them . . .the person who owned them wasn't a member of your crew, so you don't have any right over them either . . . as for the food, your men were too clumsy to even be able to protect their own food properly."

"I won't have childish insults thrown at my men . . . Let's get this over with then." The captain said and his men charged. One of them had a spear, while the other had a maul, and they were both wearing leather armor, similar to Angrenost's.

Angrenost held his sword to the side, staring at the men as they charged towards him with their weapons raised.

 _That fellow has a spear . . . and the other has a maul . . . best take the second one out, the spear one will be a little more difficult._ Angrenost thought, and held his ground.

The man with the spear reached him first and jabbed at his chest. Angrenost parried the blow with ease, then swirled to the right and ducked as a maul went for his head. Jumping up, he slashed at the man's neck, but the blow was blocked and the man pushed Angrenost back. Undeterred, the prince jumped to the side again, dodging the spear, then grabbed the wooden shaft and pulled it. The man wielding it fell forward, and Angrenost punched his face, breaking his nose.

The man yelled in pain and dropped the spear, but Angrenost gasped as the handle of the maul was smashed into his stomach. He hurriedly ducked as the other end of the weapon was swung around, aiming to bash his head off.

Coming back up, he jumped forward, onto the man wielding the maul, and pushed him onto the wall. Then, he made to pierce him with his sword, but the other man grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

 _Hellfire!_ Angrenost swore as he fell, then rolled around and stood up, holding his sword. He looked up to see both the men charge towards him again.

Instead of waiting, he charged as well, sword raised high, then he brought it down with all his might. The man with the spear blocked the blow, but with a loud 'crack' the spear broke into two, and Angrenost swung his sword around at the other man.

The sword slashed through the man's leather chest guard but didn't injure him. Cursing, Angrenost kicked the man's maul away before he recovered, then slashed forward, beheading him. But he had wasted a lot of time on this man alone.

He dived to the side again, dodging any incoming blow, then rolled and stood up. The man with the spear was nowhere to be seen.

 _Where is he?_ Angrenost thought, then turned around to see him running towards the captain, who had drawn his own sword.

"What are you doing?" The captain shouted, but the man ran past him, clearly terrified. "Get back here!"

Angrenost laughed, "See . . . your men are either too easy to kill, or are chickens. Which one of them are you?"

"Oh, you will see . . . by the way, that man wasn't from Frualder or Alalea, he was from Beirland . . . what do you say about that?" The captain said, and Angrenost winced.

 _Frualder or Alalea? . . . And that man . . .Freohr, you are going to pay for this!_ Angrenost thought.

"In fact, almost all these men are from Beirland, the place is empty now . . . and they are attacking your own city . . . isn't that just great?" The captain taunted even more.

"You're lying!" Angrenost shouted at him.

The captain smirked, the rest of his face, except the eyes, covered by a dark helmet. "Oh, am I? . . . You'll see . . ." The captain said, then charged.

Angrenost took his stance, keeping his knees bent and sword ready. But suddenly, there was a loud roar from somewhere above, and the captain stopped and cursed. Not stopping, Angrenost ran forward, and swung his sword at the captain, who jumped back, then stabbed at him. Angrenost parried the blow, and retaliated with a jab. The man sidestepped the blow, and swung his sword at Angrenost again. Angrenost blocked the blow, and pushed the sword away.

"Time to end this!" Angrenost shouted and jumped forward, and stabbed his sword at the man. His sword went through the chest and protruded from the man's back, covered in blood.

"Argh!" The captain yelled in pain, but Angrenost pulled his sword out, just as his fallen opponent's sword fell to the ground. But Angrenost grabbed him, and gently laid him onto the ground, while the captain stared at him in horror.

"Y-you killed me? . . . how?" He asked, while Angrenost just closed his eyes, then opened them again, a plan in his mind.

"That's . . . never mind . . . Before you leave . . . tell me this. If these are the men of Beirland, then where is Freohr, and the army he brought from . . . wherever you all came from?" Angrenost asked him, and man winced in pain, then lat out a pained groan.

"You r-really think I w-will tell you?" The captain said, and Angrenost stared at him, then grabbed his sword and stood up.

"It's your last chance at redemption for all the people you have killed and insulted . . . Tell me this, and I can save almost the same number of people . . . just this one thing." Angrenost said, trying to persuade him.

The captain stared at the ceiling, his eyes out of focus. But he was still gasping.

"Listen . . . tell me this, and I promise, Alagaesia will never harm your family." Angrenost said in one last effort to persuade him.

The man stared at him then, a look of longing on his face, "If t-that's w-what you a-are promising . . . Then f-fine . . . I have nothing to lose now anyway . . . n-no one on this s-ship is from B-Beirland . . . F-Freohr has taken his a-army towards the n-north . . . I-I think he is heading for your c-capital . . ." The captain said, then gasped again, while Angrenost stared at him, surprised.

 _Carvahall . . . Father!_ Angrenost thought, then got up.

"Thank you . . . now I have to go, I have a city to-"

There was loud blast overhead, and entire ship vibrated. Angrenost stumbled and fell onto the wall.

 _The dragon and Rider are assaulting the ship? . . . Great! Now I really must get out of here!_ Angrenost thought, and ran into one of the rooms. He went in and climbed onto the window, and looked up.

There was a silver dragon in the sky, and it was flapping on the spot, its neck pulled back. Arrows were flying towards the dragon, but they all spotted in mid-air. Angrenost watched the dragon, then suddenly realized what it was doing.

 _Blast it!_ Angrenost thought and jumped forward, into the ocean, which was the only thing that could save anyone now.

A huge, silver fireball burst out from its maw and hit the ship's deck in a whirl of flames. Angrenost fell into the ocean, and dived under water, just as chunks and planks of wood broke off from the ship. He surfaced, and looked up.

The ship had been almost completely destroyed, although it was still floating with the deck partially intact, but not for long. The dragon dived and smashed into the ship, breaking off most of it. Fire burst out from its maw. The poles that held the sails fell to the oceans, and the sails themselves caught fire. The dragon then heaved, flapping its wings powerfully, and overturned the ship, making deck submerge under the water.

Angrenost watched, then hurriedly began swimming towards the city, which was quite close now. But suddenly, from above, another dragon roared loudly and dived, heading for another ship. _There are two dragons in the city right now? . . . That's better than what I hoped._ Angrenost thought and swam even faster.

There were four more ships coming towards them. Angrenost knew that at least one of them would reach the city. Knowing that he would have to reach there first, he pushed himself forward as fast as he could.

"Adurna risa!" Illeria yelled, pointing her right palm at a group of soldier who were running towards her and Lenora. Water leapt up from the ocean in great amounts, and smashed onto them in the form of powerful waves, forcing them flat to the ground.

 _Nice one, now get that ballista._ Lenora said, swiping at the pole, which held the sails.

 _On it, and watch out for those archers!_ Illeria told her dragon.

They had already taken one ship down, and they were working on the next one, while Fealia and Marian attacked the other one. The green dragoness had returned at the nick of time.

Roaring, Illeria slashed apart the pole, then breathed flames at a battalion of men as they tried to shoot arrows at her. A couple of them managed to let loose their arrows, but they just bounced off her scales. Lenora growled and roasted them alive.

Illeria yelled, "Jierda!" Breaking apart a one of the shafts, which fell onto the man who was handling the ballista.

 _Lenora, lets turn this ship as well . . ._ Illeria told her. She was beginning to grow tired, and her store of energy was running low.

 _Yes, I am on it._ Lenora replied and took to the air again, flapping until she was several yards high. Then she dived, her talons stretched forward and rammed onto the ship as hard as she could, her claws piercing into the wood. She growled and heaved once more, and the overturned. Men yelled as they fell off the deck, and into the oceans, while water rushed into the ships, pulling it deeper.

Illeria watched the ship sink from atop her dragon, then looked around to see one of the remaining ships reaching the city's ports, and men getting off the ship, onto the ramparts and running towards the city. A group of soldiers charged at them, followed by some more, but there weren't enough soldiers to stop all those men.

 _Drat it!_ Lenora said, while Illeria drew her sword.

 _Let's take care of this, partner._ Illeria said, and her dragon flew towards the ports, her wings flapping powerfully.

Angrenost climbed onto the ramparts of the city's ports, gasping heavily. He had swum into a lot of wooden pieces and jagged stones, which had ruined his leather armor, and had bruised his shoulders and back in many places.

"Argh!" Angrenost yelled, pulling at his leather armor, his finger running across his left shoulder, looking for the clasp. He felt it there, and hurriedly pulled at it, but it didn't get free.

 _Blasted thing!_ Angrenost thought. The clasp was jammed.

He reached back and yanked out a dagger, and carefully pierced the clasp with its tip, and pulled the clasp out, tearing it from the leather. The chest guard fell off, opening into two, and he rubbed his shoulders and chest, glad to have the wet and tight leather off them. The leather itself wasn't affected by water, but the inner covering of the armor was covered with dark colored cotton.

Cursing the armor and whoever made it, Angrenost walked off straight, hurrying towards the city, but spotted one of the ships reach the ports on the other side. A plank was thrown out from it and onto the wooden rampart, and men filed out of it, running wildly towards the city.

Angrenost cursed again, then began to run himself. He could see guards there, but they wouldn't be able to hold off the attackers. There were nearly a hundred and fifty men, and more were filing out of the ship, while there were just eighty or so soldiers. It was hardly a fair match, but the soldiers were obviously better trained.

Angrenost sprinted down the ramparts, towards the heart of Tierm. He knew that the attackers would be dealt with, but he had to warn his father about the attack that was about to take place on Carvahall. He knew that he had several days, but the sooner he warned his father, the better it would be.


	57. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56: Return . . . to what?**

Deaother watched over Everaun's shoulder earnestly, hoping that they would reach Ellesmera soon. It had been a complete week since they had left the city for Tierm, and he sorely wished he wouldn't have, he sorely wished that this week wouldn't have taken place at all.

 _Just half an hour more, Deaother . . . Why the hurry? Something special?_ Phiole asked him, curious at his thoughts.

"Oh . . . no, nothing like that, I just wanted to . . . you know meet all the other people there again . . ." Deaother muttered, unable to make up something better, and he was thankful that the words didn't stop short in his mouth.

"Deaother," Everaun said, smiling. "I've seen you and Vaelia spending a lot of time together . . . is there something going on between the two of you?"

Everaun's tone had been sincere yet oddly funny, but his question had caught Deaother off guard. Deaother didn't reply, not because he didn't want to, but because his mouth was hanging open. He was stunned. It seemed that everyone had noticed the two of them, something that he didn't like at all. He hated getting too much attention.

 _Deaother?_ Phiole asked.

"I . . . no, nothing like that is going on . . . we are just good, really good friends and we had a little group of ours, but since Worian and Kielle left, its just the two of us now . . . That's all there is to it . . ." Deaother said hurriedly, managing another half-lie, but Everaun turned again.

"Are you sure you don't feel anything for her? . . . You can trust us Deaother, we won't tell anyone." It was an unbreakable promise.

"I . . . Oh, fine . . . I do feel something for her . . ." Deaother said finally.

 _And what is that?_ Phiole asked.

"I . . . I think I . . . I love her . . ." Deaother put it frankly, and Phiole and Everaun both got surprised but pleased expressions on their faces. Deaother looked away from both of them, his cheeks and ears going red, and beginning to grow warm. He knew it was only a matter of time before he began to sweat.

"Oh . . . My friend, why didn't you tell her that?" Everaun asked him, his voice suddenly energetic, and Deaother replied immediately.

"She would have rejected, wouldn't she?" Deaother replied to him matter-of-factly.

"Of course not, Deaother, she would have accepted, I am sure of it . . . now listen, if you really do love her, the first thing you're going to do when we reach Ellesmera is ask her to be your mate . . . that is the only way you will get what you want, Deaother." Everaun told him, looking back at him with a smile. Deaother stared at him, then gave him a small nod.

"I-I will do that . . . Thank you so much Everaun, I was a little . . . I don't know . . ."

"Shy?" Everaun offered, and he gave a small laugh as Deaother shrugged. "It's alright, Deaother, it happens to everyone, but not everyone can handle the feeling."

"I agree." Deaother said, nodding.

Everaun turned front, then said, "What's wrong Phiole? Why so quiet? Listening to advice from the experienced?"

"The experienced?" Deaother asked him, raising an eyebrow.

Everaun winked, laughing, "Aye, Deaother . . . but anyway, what say you Phiole?"

Phiole didn't reply for a while, then said, _Hold tightly, I think we have company . . ._ And he dived down, flying just some feet above the trees.

 _What are you saying?_ Everaun asked him.

 _There are six Lethrblaka flying over Ellesmera . . . that's what I am saying . . . I don't know what is going on, but it seems as if the city is under attack . . ._ Phiole told him.

"Vaelia, are you alright?" Worian asked her faintly, he was still lying on top of her.

"Yes . . . are you?" Vaelia asked back, her arms wrapped around his bare back. She still couldn't believe what he had done for her.

"I . . . am fine . . . now, let us get moving . . ." Worian said, and hurriedly began to get up. He was wearing a white pant, but nothing to cover his torso.

Vaelia got up as well, pushing the rubble aside. The sleeves of her own magenta tunic were torn, and she had cuts on her hand, but everything else was fine.

"Worian, show me your back." Vaelia said, just as he searched around for his sword.

"We don't have time Vaelia, we have to move!" Worian said, and grabbed his sword, which had fallen to the ground, and a red lamarae. He pulled on the shirt, then grabbed Vaelia's hand and pulled her out.

"Where are we going?" Vaelia asked him,

"To your father . . . He'll know what to do." Worian said, but suddenly, both of them heard a loud roar up in the sky. It was the roar of a dragon, whom the both of them recognized.

"That's Phiole . . . Deaother is back!" Vaelia said, and let go of Worian's hand and ran to the hall. She saw the brown dragon flying towards the horrifying monsters, the Lethrblaka. There were six of them in total.

 _Oh no . . . Does Phiole really think he can defeat all six of them?_ Vaelia thought.

In front of her, she saw many elves in chainmail running with spears in their hands, swords on their belts. They formed five lines in front of the Tialdari Hall, and behind them, five more lines of elves having bows and arrows stood, wearing the same armor, but having knives or daggers on their belts.

King Dathedr came out of another room, wearing plated silver armor that the old smith, Rhunon, had once made for him, and stood in front of the army.

"Listen to me, and listen well . . . the time has come, fellow elves . . . today, as I said, Ellesmera has been attacked. Now, its our chance to fight back, and avenge our brethren in Nadindel . . . We must fight those foul creatures who threaten to destroy out kingdom . . . You have sworn to protect this forest of ours . . . Today, you fulfil your promise!" Dathedr yelled.

Phiole swooped above a Lethrblaka, then looped and bit at its neck. The Lethrblaka flapped away hurriedly, putting some distance between it and the dragon.

"Phiole, to the right!" Deaother said suddenly, and the dragon corkscrewed, its tail bashing the Lethrblaka who came to tackle him. Phiole then flapped high and turned around, while Everaun and Deaother took a glimpse of Ellesmera.

An army of elves seemed to be holding an army of Ra'zac, keeping them out of the city. The army of elves was comparatively smaller than the opposing one, but more and more elves were filing in, and another army marched from the Tialdari Hall, led by a golden armored elf.

 _The king! He's leading them!_ Phiole said, and Deaother gulped. Vaelia was standing inside the Tialdari hall, watching the three of them in the air, and Worian was pulling on his own armor.

A screech brought him back to the air, and he turned around to see a Lethrblaka dive towards them from above. Phiole looped again, but he couldn't completely dodge the creature. It smashed against his side, and Deaother felt the straps that held him to the saddle loosen and give away as he sagged to the left. His right foot slid out of the strap, and the strap which held his left leg broke as his entire body fell to the left. He yelled as he lost balance and slid of the saddle, to the side.

"Deaother!" Everaun yelled and grabbed his hand, just as the rest of his body fell downwards. He was hanging onto Everaun now, and that was his only way to save himself. "Hold on, just hold on!" Everaun said hurriedly, and began to pull him up, but Deaother turned right, and saw another Lethrblaka coming towards them, claws ready. Phiole didn't move, he was waiting for Deaother to get back up.

As he saw what his friends were willing to do for him, a feeling of selflessness and determination leapt up within him. _I can't let them do this for me . . ._ Deaother thought. If that Lethrblaka managed to attack Phiole, the dragon would be too injured to fight any longer. Deaother couldn't allow that to happen.

 _There is only one way out now . . . and that's down._ Deaother realized, and looked down. A Lethrblaka was there, and it was flapping up towards them.

"Hurry!" Everaun said, but Deaother loosened his grip. With the other hand, he grabbed the hilt of his sword.

"Everaun . . . no . . . I can't let you and Phiole sacrifice yourselves . . . not for me . . . the two of you are the only hope for Ellesmera . . . you can change the tide of battle, but I can't." Deaother told him.

The Lethrblaka were coming closer.

 _Deaother, no . . . don't do this._ Phiole said, but Deaother shook his hand, loosening it.

"Deaother, get back up!" Everaun said, but Deaother loosened his grip even more.

"Goodbye, my friends . . . please tell Vaelia that . . . . tell her that I loved her, with all my heart . . . . and that I always will." Deaother told him, and let go, plummeting towards the ground at breakneck speed.

"Deaother!" Everaun yelled, but he knew that it was too late now.

Below him, Deaother saw the Lethrblaka coming towards him. He hurriedly drew his sword and held it with both his hands. But, to his immense surprise, he realized that he was just above the Tialdari Hall.

 _I might just as well make it there . . ._ He thought, and held his sword tightly with both his hands.

The giant, leathery creature flew just past him, extremely close, and he yelled and pierced his sword into its neck. The Lethrblaka screeched in pain, but it didn't end there. The sword was pulled downwards because of Deaother's weight, and it cut through the Lethrblaka's skin, sliding downwards, and slicing open the creature's neck in the process.

The Lethrblaka screeched again, then stopped and began to glide downwards, just as Deaother fell onto its back. Deaother looked up and saw Phiole slice apart a Lethrblaka's neck, and simultaneously, he saw Everaun burn another creature's head with magic. Deaother turned down, and noticed that the Lethrblaka he was on him was still alive, and beginning to flap away.

 _Oh no, you don't! If I am going to die, I am going to claim the life of at least one of you._ Deaother thought and, with both his hands, pierced his sword into the Lethrblaka's back.

The creature screeched in pain, and Deaother pushed his sword even deeper, then dived into the flow of magic within him. He knew what he had to do, and what his father had done had he been in Deaother's place.

"Brisingr!" Deaother yelled.

His silver sword, or at least what could be seen of it, leapt up in flames and the creature screeched one last time, louder than ever before. Then, suddenly, fire leapt out from its beak, golden in colour, roasting its head. After a few seconds, the tips of its wings also were burnt to ashes.

Deaother stopped the flow of magic after a few moments as a wave of fatigue coursed through him, but he was satisfied, and he pulled out his sword. He had burnt the inside of the creature, and it was surely dead now. As if to prove it, the Lethrblaka instantly then began to lose altitude.

 _Oh drat! . . . I better do something, or I'll fly off . . ._ Deaother thought, and not a moment too soon. He held his sword tightly and pierced it inside once more, then turned it so that it was fastened tightly.

They were falling faster and faster now, and it was only a matter of time before they crashed into the pines down below. Deaother crouched and held on tightly, his teeth chattering and his hair blowing wildly in the air. The creature fell towards the ground faster than Deaother had anticipated, and finally crashed against the tops of several pines.

Deaother held on even more tightly, his cloak billowing behind him, but suddenly something hit his head, suppressing his senses and making his vision blurry. Blood sprouted from his mouth, and his sword slid out of the creature.

Deaother felt weightlessness take him over completely, and he turned downwards. The ground was coming closer, but he couldn't hear anything. It was a lot closer than he had anticipated, just about twenty feet.

A globule of blood fell from his mouth but he raced it as he fell, his arms and legs spread out. He collapsed onto the ground with teeth-chattering force and blacked out. Luckily, he didn't immediately feel the pain racing across his body.

Vaelia hurried towards her room, and entered it, looking for her sword. She found it on top of her closet, and hurriedly belted it on, then ran outside. She knew that she would have to fight at one point or the other, so it would probably be best if she was ready for the prospect when it came.

She hurried outside, then jumped back, astonished. A Lethrblaka had fallen out of the sky and crashed into the pines just behind the Tialdari Hall. She watched as the creature fell to the grounding, hitting the trees as it fell, then saw another figure fall off it, and to the ground, cloak billowing behind it.

 _Was that . . . Deaother?_ Vaelia thought, then jumped as someone shouted her name.

She turned around and saw one of the royal guards hurrying towards her, his spear covered with a greenish liquid.

"Princess Vaelia, your father has ordered me to take you to-"

"Listen to me! One of my friends, the Lead Rider's son, just killed one of those Lethrblaka, and he fell just behind the hall. If we hurry, we can save him from dying. Please, come with me, we must help him!" Vaelia urged the guard who seemed to be in half minds.

"I am sorry, your majesty, but I . . . cannot defy the king's orders . . . please, just accompany me to the safe sanctuary." The guard said, but Vaelia turned away and began to run towards the gate of the Tialdari hall.

But suddenly, she stopped.

The army of elves that had been sent to stop the assault was retreating to the Tialdari Hall, but they were holding the line so that the other elves, who had been unprepared for the assault, could enter the Tialdari Hall.

Vaelia watched as elves filed into the Tialdari hall, followed by the army of elves, and her father.

"Close the gate! Close it!" Her father yelled, helping another elf, who was hanging onto the king completely, his leg bearing a horrible gash.

The roots and vines grew forth, and covered the gateway completely, but not before Vaelia spotted several Ra'zac running forward, dark armor over their convoluted and twisted form.

The elves of Ellesmera were trapped inside the Tialdari hall, while the opposing army held on against them from the outside.

"Father! Deaother has fallen just-" Vaelia began to say, hurrying towards the king, but her father didn't seem to hear.

"Eordher, please help this elf! Save him quickly!" Dathedr said, then turned around and began issuing orders to his soldiers. Vaelia watched earnestly, hardly able to stop herself, but still controlling herself from bursting out.

 _Deaother, just hold on, help is coming . . ._ Vaelia thought, then went closer to her father.

"Father . . . Father!" Vaelia said loudly, and Dathedr turned to her, exasperated.

"Vaelia?!" Dathedr said. "What are you doing here, didn't-"

"Deaother, father!" Vaelia exclaimed. "He killed that Lethrblaka and fell just behind the Tialdari Hall, we have to save him father, please . . . please father!"

Dathedr stared at her for long and hard moment, after which he said, "Deaother . . . is tough, Vaelia, he knows how to take care of himself . . . He won't be lost to us, he'll come to you before you know it, I am quite sure . . . and he is alive, that fall won't kill any elf, let alone the son of the greatest warriors in Alagaesia . . . now, go to someplace safe, I'll try to sent some elves to find him." Dathedr told her, and she nodded, after which he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

"Father," Vaelia said. "You are covered in blood . . . So . . . So many have been slain."

"Everything will be fine, my child . . . Everything will be fine, but right now, we need to be strong . . . listen." Dathedr said suddenly and she looked up into his eyes. "I am not sure if . . . Well, if something happens to me in this battle . . . I want you to promise me that you will lead our people, lest I fall, understood?"

Vaelia stared at him, and she was sure she noticed grief and sorrow in his eyes, but also courage and determination as well.

"Don't say such things, nothing is going to happen to you . . ." Vaelia tried to assure him.

Dathedr shook his head, and suddenly something hit the gates extremely hard. It was a battering ram.

"Vaelia, promise me . . . please, I want to be sure that the fate of the elves will be in safe hands." Dathedr said, and the ground trembled as the ram struck the gates again.

Vaelia stared at her father, knowing that he was waiting for her to give him her word before getting the defenses in place. She knew that she couldn't delay the defenses of the city, otherwise the attackers would soon realize that things were quite easy for them.

"I . . . I promise, father . . ." Vaelia told him, and he smiled and hugged her once more.

"Thank you . . . now go, get somewhere safe . . ." Dathedr told her.

Vaelia nodded and hurried, looking back every now and then.

In the meantime, Deaother lay, blood pouring out of his mouth, just outside the Tialdari Hall, while Vaelia hoped against hope that there would be some way to get to him. But just outside the Tialdari hall, a hooded figure walked towards the gates, the army or Ra'zac parting to let him through. High up, three Lethrblaka remained alive, while Everaun hurriedly healed Phiole as the dragon flapped away from the leathery creatures.

The unconscious warrior would soon awaken, just as the shadowy figure reached the gate and placed his hand on the vines the covered it. Then he looked up and around, a plan forming in his mind. It was only a matter of hours before the city of Ellesmera would also fall, just a chapter in the grand plan laid out by Crugan, and Zar'rac would always be there to fulfill his wish.


	58. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57: Defending the city**

Leliana held Heslant's hand tightly, guiding him through the city, towards the castle. The city was under attack, and a guard had rushed into their street, shouting that everyone had to seek refuge in the castle.

The next few minutes had been that of complete confusion as people wildly grabbed their most precious belongings and rushed out of their homes. Leliana and Heslant had joined them, and they were still with the crowd, running a fast as they could. They were on the other side of the city, near the southeastern walls. The walls were almost empty; all the soldiers were running towards the western ports, where the attack was underway.

"Child . . . Leliana . . . Can we slow down?" Heslant asked, one of his arms wrapped around her shoulders, and the other holding her right hand tightly.

"We . . . yes, we can . . . after a little more time." Leliana said. She could see the castle straight ahead.

Angrenost sprinted down an empty alleyway. He was now at the north eastern side of the city, and steadily making his way towards the castle's gates although had no idea where the closest gate was, but he kept moving, hoping that he would find it soon.

 _The castle . . . it has gates in all the four directions . . . which means . . . wait a moment, what are all those people doing?_ Angrenost wondered, hurrying out of the dark alleyways.

There was a complete throng of people on the street, and they were all hurrying wildly in one direction, towards the castle.

 _How am I to make my way through this dratted swarm? . . ._ Angrenost thought, looking around. There was only one way that occurred to him.

 _I'll have to climb to rooftops . . ._ Angrenost concluded, staring up at them, then discarded the idea. _These buildings are all of different heights . . ._ Angrenost realized. He watched the people move, then headed back down the alley.

 _Blast it! How do I get to the castle?_ Angrenost thought, running through the gaps between the houses. He kept moving in the same direction, desperate, and hoping that something would strike him. All the people were moving towards the castle itself, and if he joined them then he would be able to get there as well.

 _But then . . . it might be too late! . . . . its not like I have a choice._ Angrenost realized there was no other way into the castle except the roads. He emerged from the alleys, coming out in the southern side of the city. He was in the main lane of the city, which led directly to the gates of the castle. A large group of people was moving towards the castle, and Angrenost joined them, blending in with the people of his own kingdom.

He walked slowly then, while people scuffled and pushed each other around him. But suddenly, he walked into someone, making the man fall, face first, to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Someone shouted, and Angrenost turned, intending to apologise, but as soon as he saw the woman who had spoken, he fell silent. His jaw, all of a sudden, didn't seem to want to move. It was as if they had succumbed to the speaker's words.

"Are you blind?" The woman asked, and Angrenost just blinked, dazed. The woman was beautiful, tall and brown haired, having small eyes like perfect pearls from shells. But Angrenost couldn't stare anymore as he hurriedly pulled himself back. She was wearing a black dress, and she seemed to be quite annoyed.

"N-No . . . is he?" Angrenost asked, regaining his demeanor.

The woman's expression became even more fierce, "Yes, he is!" Angrenost winced in surprise.

 _Just great! So this is my fault, isn't it?_ Angrenost thought, cursing.

"I-I . . . apologize . . . here, let me help you." Angrenost said, and grabbed the old man's hand, who was trying to get up as well. He helped the man up, and smiled gently at him, then realized that it was useless. The man couldn't see his face anyway.

"It's quite alright . . . but I must ask you, how can you guard your mind so well?" The man asked, and Angrenost raised his eyebrows and turned to the woman. She stared at Angrenost for a moment, then hurriedly turned to the old man.

"Pardon me . . . I . . . rather not disclose that." Angrenost said, while people continued to move around them.

"Heslant! Come on, we need to get to the castle, the city is under attack!" The woman said hurriedly, grabbing the old man's hand and pulling her with him.

 _Heslant? . . . Rings a bell somewhere . . ._ Angrenost thought, and recalled warm afternoons, hours spent in the library with his mother, her calm voice reading out stories to him. He recalled as she one day brought him there, and showed him an extremely tattered old book, which had odd glyphs written on it.

 _Domia Abr Wyrda!_ Angrenost recalled, and turned around to find the man.

"Heslant?! Heslant the monk! The one who wrote Domia Abr Wyrda?" Angrenost yelled, and the woman and the old man turned around, and the man was chuckling.

"See Leliana? . . . It was only a matter of time before he remembered . . . there is something different about this man." The old man said his voice full of energy all of a sudden, but still having tremors. The man then began to pull the woman towards Angrenost, who himself began to walk towards the two.

"I . . . I didn't think you would be alive . . . But my grandfather told me that you were a Rider before." Angrenost said. He wasn't completely honest, he had overheard the Lead Rider telling his grandfather this, but he had been very young, just few years old, and had been sitting on his grandfather's lap.

"Your grandfather? . . . interesting." Heslant said, a pleased look on his face. "You're a good man . . . what is your-"

"In case you two don't know yet, there is a battle going on, the city is under attack! Don't you think we should move?" Leliana said suddenly, and Heslant patted her shoulder.

"You are right . . ." Heslant said, while Angrenost stared at the woman.

"I really don't know how some unknown mongrel on the road can recognize y-" The woman began to say, but Angrenost interrupted her, quite irritated himself.

"Pardon me, but the last time I checked, I was human!" Angrenost said, and the woman threw him an angry look.

"You must have checked a long time ago then!" She replied.

"Do you even know who I am?" Angrenost asked her, drawing himself to his complete height.

"No, just some common thief, I guess . . .your clothes-"

"I am Prince Angrenost! Son of King Orothrim!" Angrenost said loudly, and everyone around stopped moving and stared at him. He smiled. The woman in front of him raised her hand to her mouth, shocked, while the old man chuckled. "I knew it."

"M-My lord . . ." The woman said and bowed, but Angrenost hurriedly grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up, then immediately let go.

"No, don't . . ." Angrenost said, then turned to everyone else. "Move! To the castle! Fast!" Angrenost told them.

The woman was still staring at him, shocked, but he gestured at her to move. She nodded and grabbed the old man's hand, guiding him with her. Angrenost smiled after them, but he himself didn't move. He had realized his responsibility all of a sudden. He was the prince, the leader of the people, and he knew that he had to make sure that they were safe.

"You always seem to attract the least unexpected and special people, Heslant." Leliana said, her fingers shivering as she held the old man's arm.

"That is true . . . Kings, Riders, Shades . . . and kind women like you." Heslant said, smiling.

They hurried towards the keep, along with the others, and Leliana looked back. The prince was going the other way, moving slowly.

 _What is he doing?_ Leliana thought, but it was too late to find out now. They had already passed the gates, and were going further. One of the double doors of the castle was open, and half a dozen guards were standing there, ordering the people in.

They passed through the double doors as well, and inside the castle. The entrance hall inside was completely packed, and they somehow managed to force her way towards the courtyard, which had a little more room. Leliana guided Heslant over to the grassy courtyard, and they both down, a little away from the others.

"This is not good . . ." Heslant murmured. "This is not at all good . . ."

"What are you saying?" Leliana asked, perturbed.

"We are pinned down here . . . they can easily attack us in here . . ." The old man whizzed, running a hand through his long, white hair.

"Maybe you are right. But this is the safest place for now . . ." Leliana told him, trying to calm him down.

But unbeknownst to them, a tile in the cellar of the castle was pushed open, and one man climbed out of it. He was followed by many more men, and they had spears and bows with them. They attack from the ocean had been just the half of Freohr's plan. He had learnt of this secret doorway from Crugan, who said that he had seen it in the captured Rider's mind.

Finding the way into the tunnel had been difficult, but Freohr's scouts and magicians had found it, hidden in the hills to the south. More men emerged from the floor, and drew their swords, ready to take on the weak soldiers of Alagaesia.

 _Right . . . almost everyone has taken refuge inside the castle . . . I better go there as well . . ._ Angrenost thought, and jogged down the road towards the castle, running a hand across his face. He did look rather different, with this thick beard. _I have to shave it as soon as I can._ Angrenost thought, running on. But there are more pressing matters at hand right now.

He passed the guards near the gates, and said, "I don't think there is anyone else out there . . . you better come inside as well, and close the gates."

The guards stared at him, "We will do what we must, now get in and don't order us around."

 _What in the world?!_ Angrenost thought, frustrated at the soldier's insolent behavior, and he knew that he had to deal with it right now.

"Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" Angrenost asked them, and the guards stared at him, then shook their heads.

"Well, then let me enlighten you . . . I am prince Angrenost." Angrenost told them, and he smiled as the soldiers jumped back, especially the one who had spoken to him.

"M-My lord . . . I am so sorry . . . we will shut the doors immediately, my lord." The soldier said, and Angrenost nodded, then entered the castle cloak billowing.

 _Hmm . . . my clothes are dry . . . probably with all the running._ Angrenost thought. He hurried in, past the double doors, and into the entrance hall. The entire hall was jam-packed with people, most of them were arguing or fighting over space.

The hall itself seemed extremely uninviting. With the continuous opening and closing of the gate, and the sudden incoming of the wind, almost all the candles and fires had been put out, making the hall dark. Coupled with the prospect were the people in it, pushing each other wildly and out of the way.

 _Is this how our kingdom truly is? . . . These people . . . some of them are so poor . . . and others are rich and arrogant . . . Something has to be done about this._ Angrenost thought, but he knew that right now, their survival was the main concern.

Hurrying forward, Angrenost pushed his way through the crowd, getting many curses and protests from several men and women. But he ignored them, he had to get to the governor and explain the situation.

He had been to the castle once before, and he knew the way to the royal quarters, but at that time, the corridors had been nearly empty. He remembered, coming to the city on a surprise visit, following his father's orders, to find out how the administration of the city was going on. He had been truly disappointed, poverty had loomed over majority of the people, and beggars roamed the streets unchecked.

He reached the end of the hall, which had several doors. He opened one of them, revealing the stairs within. He quickly went it and closed the door, not wanting the people outside to rush in. He wasn't sure if the governor would take kindly to the people of the city running into his room. He sped up the stairs, two at a time, formulating what he had to do.

 _First . . . I must contact Father, and tell him about the attack that's coming . . . and I better contact the Lead Rider as well . . ._ Angrenost thought, but suddenly, he heard something. He stopped, listening. It had sounded like a dozen footsteps coming upstairs. He looked down again, the staircase wasn't properly lit, so he couldn't see much in the lower levels, but he knew that those stairs which descended further led to the dungeons and to the cellars.

 _Is there someone down there? . . . I wonder . . ._ Angrenost began to descend hurriedly. He stopped again, and this time he was sure that he had heard people there. _Something is wrong . . ._ Angrenost thought, and looked down.

He saw the pale outline of a sword, held high by a man who was climbing the stairs swiftly. Behind him, Angrenost could see more men, most of them wielding some weapon or the other. These men were two flights below, and they hadn't seen Angrenost yet, but they would if he didn't move.

 _Are they soldiers? . . . no, they aren't wearing any plated armor . . ._ Angrenost thought, then it dawned upon him, and with it came an upheaval of panic and excitement.

These are Freohr's men! Blasted Shruikan's tail! I must call the guards! Angrenost ran towards the door, from where he had entered, and ran out, yelling, "They are inside! They have infiltrated the castle! Guards! To arms!"

There was silence, complete silence as people stared at the Prince, then they suddenly came to life and soon yelling and scuffling ensued once more as people began to push each other aside in their haste to get out of the castle.

Angrenost himself drew his sword, and raised his hand, calling the guards to him. A dozen of them came to his side, their different weapons ready, "Those men seemed to have entered through the cellars." Angrenost told them, and they listened intently. "Are there any other places where these men can go from there?"

"Yes . . . They can go to the-" One of them began, but Angrenost cut him off.

"Three of you," Angrenost said, pointing at the three men. "Go, and secure these locations. Then rally the other guards to this place . . . one of you do that, the others warn the governor about this. "

The men nodded and ran off, then he turned to the remaining of them, "Are there any more people in here?" Angrenost asked, and a man nodded.

"There are some in the courtyard . . . my lord." The man said, and Angrenost smiled at him.

"Go to them, and get them out of there in an orderly manner . . . we won't be able to hold them off for long." Angrenost told him, and the man hurried towards the courtyard. Angrenost watched him go, and spotted the brown haired woman in the black dress, and the old man with her.

 _To think I would meet Heslant here . . ._ Angrenost thought, then turned to the remaining eight men. "We will try to hold them off until the others come . . . lets go." Angrenost said, turning around and kicking the door open.

A couple of the attackers were nearly at their level, and Angrenost charged towards them, sword held tightly. The guards followed him, weapons raised. Outside, the two dragons destroyed the last of the ships, while the soldiers fought the attackers who had disembarked the ship at the ports.

Angrenost ran inside, his sword held high. Behind him men, women and children were hurrying out of the hall, trying to get away from the attackers, while the people in the courtyard were just beginning to get to their feet.

Standing near the stairs, Angrenost saw his enemies hurrying up the final flight of stairs, but they stopped when they saw him. The man in the lead was wielding a spiked mace, and was staring at Angrenost through his helm.

"You! You are the Prince!" He yelled, pointing at Angrenost, who raised his eyebrows.

"Yes . . ." Angrenost said, as the guards filed up behind him.

"You will pay for kicking that door in my face!" The man said, and Angrenost raised an eyebrow.

 _Oh right, my infamous escape._ Angrenost realized that this was the man whom he had kicked and it was this very man's sword that he was wielding.

"And I am going to make Freohr pay for ever attacking my kingdom and my people!" Angrenost bellowed, then pointed his sword at them. "Let us slay them all!"

He charged towards them, his sword ready, and his guards followed. This was going to be a tight battle; in the enclosed space of the stairs.

Angrenost attacked the man, who blocked the blow with his mace and pushed the Prince's sword aside. He jumped back, dodged a swipe from the spiked bob, and then kicked the man's in the stomach, making him fall back onto his comrades.

Two of the guards fought alongside him, one of them swinging a war hammer, and the other jabbing with his spear. The others had drawn bows and were shooting men down. Angrenost jumped forward, his sword held with both his hands. He pierced it into the heart of the man, the sword's original owner, then pulled it out and slashed at another one, who ducked.

 _Blast!_ Angrenost cursed as his sword struck the supports of the stones stairs and ricocheted. It had a horrible notch on it. But he knew there was nothing for it now.

Next to him, the guard impaled a man by breaking off his leg with the hammer, while the other one stabbed a man through his liver. Angrenost swung his sword around, hitting another man in the head, though it was protected by a helm. The sword bounced off again, but the man fell to the ground, unconscious. Angrenost dropped his present sword, and took the one that the man had been wielding. It wasn't exactly the appropriate one for him, but there no time to be picky.

Three men were killed with arrows sticking out of their throats and foreheads. Angrenost and the two guards advanced down the flight of stairs, slashing and swinging their weapons, killing off men one by one.

Angrenost stabbed at a man's heart, then swung his sword up and got him in the neck. Pulling his sword out, he dodged a jab from a spear, then beheaded the attacker with a clean sweep. Not stopping, he descended another step and blocked a sword as it swung at him from above. He kicked the man in the groin with his knee, making him groan and fall to his knees. Angrenost then slashed off his head, blood pouring out.

But the stream of men was endless, and slowly, Angrenost and the guards began to tire. The Prince knew that they wouldn't be able to hold on much longer, which is why he yelled, "Fall back! Fall back! . . . you five, cover us!" Angrenost yelled at them, then kicked a man on his leg, making him fall onto the people behind him. "Turn around and run up the stairs, both of you! Follow me . . ." Angrenost said, sprinting up the stairs with his back to the attackers. The guards at the end of the flight shot arrows at them continuously, not allowing the attackers to come closer to the Prince and the guards.

Angrenost panted as he led his men onwards, his body pumping with energy as adrenaline gushed through his veins and heart.

"Come on! Faster!" Angrenost yelled, reached the other guards. They followed him up the stairs once more, and out through the door, into the hall. The attackers were following them, shouting curses. "Into the courtyard!" Angrenost said, and he spotted five more guards already running down the corridor on the other side of the courtyard. But there was someone else there. Angrenost watched, running towards the courtyard. He gasped, nearly skidding to a stop.

There were people there, and they were all running towards him.

"No!" Angrenost shouted. "Not this way, go the other way! Turn around! Run!"

Most of the men and women turned around and did as he said, going past the armored guards, who came up to the Prince. But one woman was still standing there, watching. Angrenost stared at her, and he recognized her. It was Leliana.

 _What is she doing? . . . and where is Heslant?_ Angrenost thought, but there was a tap on his shoulder.

He turned around to see the old man, who was frowning.

"Looking for me?" He asked, and the guards jumped and looked back.

"Err . . . yes . . . You two!" Angrenost shouted, calling two of the guards who were wielding spears. "You'll be in the lead . . . You three," Angrenost continued, pointing at the three guards who were wielding a hammer, a sword and a maul, "Take your places right behind these two."

Then he turned to the rest of them, "You, join me." He said, calling a guard who had a bow, then he turned to the remaining of them and said. "Keep your bows ready . . . You are to keep shooting at them, keeping them at bay until we charge . . . is that clear?"

The men nodded, and all of them nocked arrows on their bows.

"Wait a moment, Prince." Heslant said suddenly. "Let me get back . . ."

Angrenost watched, while Leliana came and grabbed his arm gently, "Come on, we have to get out of here."

"I told you this wasn't right." The old said, while the woman took him away. But she turned around and gave Angrenost a small smile, who nodded in return.

"Sir, they are coming!" The man next to him said, and the five guards let loose their arrows. There were cries of pain, and Angrenost turned around. The attackers were filing out of the in three rows. Angrenost waited and watched. The men in the lead fell with arrows sticking out of their heads or throats.

"Get ready . . ." Angrenost said as the attackers crossed half of the hall, and the ones in the lead fell to the arrows from the defenders.

As soon as the men stepped into the courtyard, Angrenost yelled, "Charge!" The guards with the spears ran forward, weapons ready. The second line of the guards followed them, and Angrenost ran towards his enemies as well. Arrows whistled past him, towards the attackers, killing three more.

One of the guards in the lead was thrown off his feet, as one of the attackers rammed into him with a shield. The guard next to him pierced his spear into a man right in front, who tried to slash at him with a curved sword.

Angrenost swung his sword as soon as he neared the maniacs from the side. The man parried the blow, but Angrenost pulled his sword back and stabbed in the heart. He jumped back as another man swung his axe at him, then ducked as a falchion came for his neck. He jumped back up and kicked the man, who wielded the axe, in the gut and slashed his head off. Then he turned around and blocked a blow from the man who wielded the falchion. He pushed the man back, and sidestepped a jab from a spear.

To the side, two of his guards had fallen, but their killers had been slain, arrows poking out from their chest. The remaining three guards were still fighting, but they were also being overwhelmed.

Angrenost dodged another jab, but the falchion hacked at his chest. He tried to sidestep it, but he was a little late. The falchion gashed his side, and he yelled in pain and jumped back, avoiding a swing from the spear.

 _Blasted fools! . . ._ Angrenost thought.

Then another guard fell, and remaining two were fighting as hard as they could, but it was only a matter of time before they were killed as well. Angrenost chanced a look at them, and realized that they were losing the battle.

 _Where in hell are the Governor and his force? Why aren't they here?_ Angrenost thought, then looked up to see the attackers running towards him. The one in the lead raised the falchion, intending to cut off his head, but Angrenost jumped forward and grabbed his shoulder with his left hand. With his right, he pierced the man's stomach with his sword, pushing it halfway in.

Not stopping, even though his side was bleeding profusely, he pulled out his sword and stepped back. His vision was becoming blurry, and he blinked as another ran at him, swing his spear around like a cane. Angrenost tried to duck under the blow, but the shaft of the spear hit him in the temple.

"Argh!" Angrenost screamed and fell to the ground, clutching his wounded side.

"So . . . Prince . . . is this all you can do? If the great leaders are like this, then what about the people?" The man said, and looked back. The flow of men had stopped, and Angrenost also watched the last of them run into the courtyard, yelling. Then he heard five more men yell in pain, and he knew that the last of the guards had also been slain.

The man standing on top of him grinned, then turned his spear around, the sharp tip pointing downwards.

"Well . . . I hope you rot in hell . . ." The man said, sneering. Angrenost watched him, fear in his eyes, but there was movement to the right. The man looked around, and then whatever happened, it happened too fast for Angrenost to comprehend properly.

There was a blast, and a flash of green light. The man above him was blasted away; he hit the wall of the hall, then crumpled and fell to the ground. Angrenost stared at him for a while, gasping, then jumped in fright and groaned in pain as thin fingers grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

"Heslant!" Angrenost cried, staring at the blind man, who was smiling.

"Aye, its me . . . now . . . where are you hurt? I can heal you." Heslant asked, and held out his hand, gesturing Angrenost to take it towards the wound.

Angrenost grabbed the wrist of the old man's hand, his own fingers shivering. He lightly placed the old man's hand on top of the gash on his side, then cried in pain again as the old man pushed the wound with his fingers.

"Quiet!" Heslant said, "Now . . . Lets see . . . Ah, it's from a blade . . . Waise Heill!" He said in a different language, which Angrenost recognized as the language of magic and of the elves. But he winced and looked down, as his skin itched horribly, and it was all he could do from stopping himself from scratching it. But he blinked, he could his own energy ebbing out of him as the wound healed.

"T-Thank you . . ." Angrenost said as he finally felt the pain subside, and Heslant stood up shakily. Angrenost got to his feet and flexed his muscles a bit, they felt perfect.

"Now . . . go and save Tierm, Prince . . . you are the only one who can do it . . . I sense that the Governor has locked himself in his main quarters on the next floor, with many guards." Heslant said, and Angrenost raised his eyebrows.

"He shut himself away from the attackers?" Angrenost asked, incredulous. "That toothless, cowardly piece of-"

"No time for swearing . . . We must get to him before those other men do." Heslant said, and Angrenost stared at him. He knew that Riders could use magic, but he was still a little surprised at how easily they could find anything and everything. Heslant seemed to have found out what he was thinking, especially because his mental barriers weren't up.

"Come now, let us go." The old man said, fingering a jewel.

"You are so . . . annoying!" A voice suddenly came from the side, and Angrenost turned around to see the woman in the black dress striding towards them from the courtyard. Angrenost stared at her, then jumped as Heslant replied to her.

"Ah, Leliana my dear . . . I was just wondering when you would show up." Heslant said.

"We are getting out of here right now!" Leliana said, but Heslant chuckled.

"No, child, you are . . . I, and Angrenost here," Angrenost jumped when his name was said. "Are going to go and save the Governor."

Leliana stared at him, then sighed, "You think this is your age for it?"

"Aye . . . I told you . . . My time is up." Heslant said, then walked towards the center of the courtyard. "Come, Angrenost . . . I can get you into the Governor's room, but you will have to take it on from there."

Angrenost raised his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"I can't climb walls, and neither can she . . ." Heslant said patiently, and Leliana gave him a skeptical look.

"I . . . fine, let's just . . . hold on a minute, what was that sound?" Angrenost asked, looking around.

In the next second, he cursed foully, and drew his sword as well. But it was hopeless, truly hopeless.

Men filed out from both the corridors which led out of the courtyard, and Angrenost hurriedly grabbed Heslant's hand, who grabbed Leliana's, and pulled him back, towards the wall.

"We are surrounded by-"

"Those mongrels, I know." Heslant interrupted. "What else would make you do this?"

Next to him, Leliana held his hand tightly, staring at the men ahead of them. They entered the courtyard and formed a semicircle around the three of them, covering them from all sides except the back, where the wall was.

Angrenost watched, his sword drawn, but he knew that he alone didn't stand a chance of defeating all of them. But Heslant's hand tugged out of his grip, and he let go of Leliana as well, then took a step forward, smiling.

"Prince Angrenost . . . You escaped from us once . . . you won't escape again! This time, we have you, and Freohr would much rather have you dead than alive." The man in center of the semi circle said.

Angrenost stared at him with cold eyes, anger and hatred brewing up inside him. The man was fair haired, had a thick beard and moustache, and was wearing dark leather armor, with a spiked mace tucked into his belt.

"You tell Freohr, that his own death is coming for him, and soon . . ." Angrenost shouted in reply. The men around them just laughed, pointing at him and calling him names.

"You don't seem to be in a situation to make threats . . . do you?" The man asked him.

"You're calling your own doom upon yourselves . . . If you retreat now, I will spare your lives." Angrenost told them, though he knew that his words hardly meant anything. And, unfortunately, so did the men before him.

Angrenost. A voice said in his mind, and he jumped, looking around. _Its Heslant . . . keep your face straight and listen to me . . ._

Angrenost was hesitant at first, still looking around, and then hardened the muscles on his face, trying to look as impassive as possible.

 _Grab Leliana's hand . . ._ Heslant told him.

 _What? No way! She'll-_ Angrenost suddenly thought to him as an array of possibilities exploded in his mind.

 _Just do as I tell you . . . I am trying to save Alagaesia right now . . . Angrenost, Alagaesia needs you, and I am not going to let these fork-tongued fools kill you . . .but you must trust me . . . and promise me something as well._ Heslant said, and Angrenost was silent for a while, curiosity in his mind, then he agreed.

The men were mocking him, and Leliana turned around in surprise as he grabbed her hand and held it reassuringly.

 _Good . . . now promise me this . . . promise me that you will keep her safe, Angrenost . . . she is like a daughter to me, and to every father, his daughter's safety is something of utmost importance._ Heslant told him hurriedly, and his voice did seem quite worried all of a sudden to Angrenost, even though he was hearing it in his mind.

 _Heslant I . . . I will protect her, and make sure that she is safe and that nothing happens to her . . . I promise you._ Angrenost said, a little hesitant and extremely guilty at the fact that he was saying this without her knowledge.

 _And one last thing . . . duck when I tell you to, and I mean it . . . and pull her down with you . . ._ Heslant said, his voice determined now.

 _What are you planning?_ Angrenost asked him.

 _I am planning on using magic . . .I don't know if I will make it, but when I do work the magic, a blast will take place that will probably kill most of these men . . . I want you to run down the corridor to the right with her, and get away from these people . . . force her to come with you . . .I know it will be hard, extremely hard for her, but I am doing this so that she can live._ Heslant said.

Angrenost was silent, not knowing what to say, but he knew he would have to agree. There was no other way, at least none that he could see.

 _But . . . oh alright, I agree . . ._ Angrenost said.


	59. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58: Werecat's aid**

His vision was blurred, but he was sure he could see green leaves, green trees and a white wall above him.

 _What is this? . . . Where am I?_ He thought, then blinked a couple of times and looked up. As his vision cleared, he realized that it was silent all around. He could hear the faint flapping of wings, the soft footsteps of the forest floor, but there was no more the sound of the battle, or the sound of elves and Ra'zac crying out in pain.

 _I . . . fell . . . here, just behind the Tialdari hall . . . that's . . .the fight! Vaelia!_ Deaother suddenly remembered and scrambled to his feet, looking around. His hearing still hadn't returned to its earlier condition, but he saw able to see properly, and it was improving. As it did, he could hear something strong banging a hard surface, then bouncing back harmlessly.

But around him there was hardly any activity, the forest was still and impassive. _Is the battle over? . . ._ Deaother thought, then spotted his sword lying on the ground. He picked it up and sheathed it, then hurried ahead.

As soon as he rounded around the corner of the Tialdari hall, he stopped and jumped back as he saw a long line of black ahead, in between the trees. _The Ra'zac, they are still there? . . . but . . .the elves, they must have taken refuge inside the Tialdari Hall._ Deaother thought, and looked up.

The wall was quite high, but he was sure he could use magic to raise himself above it and then land on the other side. He just hoped that it wouldn't be so taxing.

 _Alright . . ._ Deaother thought, then spread out his hands and muttered the words in the Ancient soon as he began to rise, he felt the energy draining out of him, but he didn't stop.

 _Vaelia . . . She's in there . . . everyone there could use my help . . ._ Deaother thought as he rose above the wall. He stopped the flow of magic and climbed onto the wall, then, swinging his legs around, he jumped into the hall.

He fell to the ground, and landed on his knees, too tired to stand straight, sweat rolled down his forehead. He stood up, panting, then looked around. Most of the elves were on the other side, wearing armor and holding their spears or bows ready.

King Dathedr and another elf stood near the gate, and they seemed to be talking to someone just outside. Deaother watched for a while, then looked around for Vaelia. She wasn't there.

 _Where is she? . . ._ Deaother thought and hurried towards one of the elves, a female elf, who were standing nearby. She seemed to be extremely sad for some reason, and was staring grievously at the army of elves ahead of her. Her hair was black, and extremely messy, and her fair face had dark spots on it, making it extremely difficult to identify. But Deaother felt that he had seen this elf several times during his stay in Ellesmera. _She has probably lost a loved one in the battle . . . I should offer my condolences to her._ Deaother thought, but Vaelia was more important to him.

"Err . . . pardon me, where is Princess Vaelia?" Deaother asked her uncertainly, not knowing whether he should have introduced himself first. During a battle, obviously, manners took a second priority. He stood and waited, but she turned around in surprise, and Deaother jumped back, stunned.

It was Vaelia who he was looking at, but she was looking extremely different. Her face and clothes were covered with dust, and her hair was streaked with dust as well, making them look half white.

"I-Its you, Vaelia! I . . . didn't-" Deaother stammered, but not before Vaelia beamed at him widely, then jumped forward and hugged him tightly.

"You are alive! I thought . . . Oh Deaother . . ." Vaelia said, jumping back hurriedly, as if she realized what she was doing, but she was still holding both his hands tightly.

Deaother stood there, smiling, glad to be back with the woman he loved.

"I was more worried about you . . ." Deaother said, holding her hands gently. They were warm.

"You fell off Phiole . . . onto that Lethrblaka!" Vaelia said, her eyes filled with awe.

"It . . . was a mistake . . ." Deaother said, loosening his hold on her hands hurriedly. But she didn't seem to want to leave him just yet.

"I missed you so much . . . What happened?" Vaelia asked him, then slowly let go of his hands, taking a step back from him.

"Well . . . My . . . My parents, they left . . . Left Alagaesia, for Alalea-"

"As in? The place where elves originated?" Vaelia asked him with her eyebrows raised.

Deaother nodded, but suddenly, something struck his ankle. He jumped and looked down, to see a huge cat glaring at him. It was covered in rich fur, and seemed almost like the child of a tiger.

 _By Galbatorix's beard!_ Deaother thought. _That's a werecat!_

The werecat was glaring at him, as if he had made a big mistake or committed a horrible crime. Vaelia looked down as well, her eyebrows raised, and took a step back.

 _Not very bright, are you? Just like your father . . ._ someone spoke in Deaother's mind.

 _Solembum?_ Deaother asked, surprised.

 _Yes, and you better follow me if you know what's good for you._ Solembum said.

"Where's Nesmrial(Angela)?" Deaother asked.

"Deaother, is that a-" Vaelia began to say, but Solembum hissed at her, making her jump back.

"I-I mean . . . are you a werecat?" Vaelia asked him.

 _Do I look like one, elf?_ Solembum asked her.

"Yes." Vaelia said.

You are a bright one, now follow me! Solembum said and trotted into one of the rooms to the right, while Deaother and Vaelia followed.

"Who is Nesmrial?" Vaelia asked him as they jogged behind the huge werecat.

"She's his companion . . ." Deaother replied.

They followed him from one room to another, until they finally ended up in the room that had a stream flowing through it.

Solembum stopped just a little away from the stream and turned around to face them. _Listen, this way leads out of the Tialdari Hall, and I want the both of you to follow me._ Solembum asked them, staring at the both of them impassively.

"But why?" Deaother asked, and Solembum hissed at him.

 _Are you blind or deaf? There is a battle going on out there, which the both of you have no chance of surviving, unless you follow me._ Solembum told them.

"But what about my father? And Worian? And the other elves?" Vaelia asked him, incredulous. "I am not leaving them behind."

 _They know that they don't have a chance of winning . . . there are just trying to prove to the Shade that they won't give up without a fight . . ._ Solembum said, then suddenly jumped behind a desk.

"What Shade?" Vaelia asked, but Deaother tapped her on the shoulder.

She turned around and saw Worian behind her, staring at the both of them. His hair was askew and his helm and chainmail was covered in dust, as was his pant.

"What are the two of you doing here?" Worian asked them, suspicious.

"Nothing . . . We . . . just followed a werecat down here." Deaother told him, and he raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised.

"Nice one Deaother, how can a werecat . . .? Hellfire! That's a werecat!" Worian jumped back, staring at Solembum who appeared from behind the desk.

 _You are coming with us, aren't you?_ Solembum asked him.

"I . . . was told to take Vaelia to a safe place . . ." Worian said, turning to Vaelia. She nodded, but suddenly, the ground trembled. The gate was being attacked once again.

 _Hurry! Follow me!_ Solembum said, and jumped into the stream, then stopped as it wound under the wall, and hurried to base of the wall just next to the stream. Stand in the stream, all of you. Solembum ordered, and they agreed, Deaother pulling Vaelia with him.

"But my father, he is still here . . . all the other elves are still here, we-" Vaelia said hurriedly, trying to free herself from Deaother's grip.

 _This might be a little rough ride so brace yourselves._ Solembum said, and all of them turned to him just as the ground trembled once more.

Solembum then suddenly pressed something, a knob of sorts, on the wall, and suddenly, the ground below them vanished.

"Solembum!" Deaother yelled, now holding onto Vaelia for his own sake as they fell down the gap in the ground, onto a narrow rock slide. Vaelia and Worian yelled as well, and all three of them fell onto the slide. Water was flowing along it, pushing ahead.

Solembum jumped in after them, and landed on Deaother's chest, sinking his claws into Deaother's shirt.

They raced ahead, one after the other, Worian in the lead, Vaelia after him, Deaother and Solembum bringing up the rear.

"Where does this lead?" Worian shouted from the front.

 _You will see, though you might not recognize the place, these two will._ Solembum said.

"My lord . . . I sent Worian to escort Vaelia to safety . . ." Someone said, and Dathedr turned around to see Vanir staring at him, his long hair partially covering his face and the blood that was flowing from his temple.

"Thank you, Vanir . . ." Dathedr said, and he looked up.

Everaun and Phiole were still battling the Lethrblaka, only two of the horrible creatures remained in the sky. Dathedr hoped that the dragon and Rider would be able to escape the city and take refuge in Osilon, as well as contact the other dragon Riders about the incoming threat.

"King Dathedr!" Someone shouted suddenly from outside the hall, and Dathedr turned, gripping his sword tightly.

"Yes, I am here . . ." Dathedr replied in an equally loud and determined voice.

"You should, you and your . . . comrades have as much a chance of surviving, as this gate has of withstanding my assault." The voice said, and Dathedr raised an eyebrow.

Just then, there was a massive blast of grey fire from outside, and the gates of the Tialdari hall were blasted away, the burnt broken parts of the roots and vines flying in all directions.

"Positions!" Dathedr shouted and drew his sword, and waited as a cloaked figure entered the hall. The figure looked up to see Dathedr and about two hundred other elves standing with their weapons ready, and three hundred more of them standing behind with their bows ready.

"Such tension . . . such anger and hate . . . can't you elves take it easy?" The figure asked, and unlatched the cloak and threw it off, to reveal a heavy set of maroon armor, complete from helm, to greaves, to gauntlets.

"Who are you?" Dathedr asked, and the figure turned to him, staring at him through the slits of its helm.

"Ah, greetings King Dathedr . . . I am the emissary of Burthr abr andlat . . . and I am here to kill you, and all the other elves that I come across. I hope it is clear that-"

"Run back to your Crugan, and tell him that Alagaesia will not fall to him, so he can give up his foul ambition." Dathedr interrupted, and the figure stared at Dathedr.

"So you have heard of him . . . Oh well, then no need for pleasantries . . . Attack!" The figure yelled.

"Hold your ground, my friends!" Dathedr shouted.

But, to the immense surprise of King Dathedr and the other elves, the Ra'zac didn't charge in from the gate as they had expected. There was a sound on tinkling of boots and swords being drawn, which made Dathedr looked around, astounded. The Ra'zac were attacking them from the side. The emissary had been distracting them while his soldier scaled the walls.

The slide below Deaother vanished, and he fell downwards, following Worian and Vaelia. Solembum jumped off him and he looked down to see an underground lake. It seemed vaguely familiar for some reason. But before he could reflect more on his thoughts, he felt chilling water splash his face as he fell into the water. Kicking upwards, he burst out of the water and gasped for air.

 _It seems as if I have been in the same situation before . . ._ Deaother thought, then took a deep breath and swam towards the rocky bed. He caught a glimpse of Worian and Vaelia already swimming in the same direction.

He soon reached it, and he crawled onto the bed, following Vaelia, who had collapsed onto the ground and was breathing heavily. Deaother crawled over to her and grabbed her hand, worried.

"A-Are you alright?" Deaother asked, and she turned to him with a small smile stretched across her lips.

"Yes . . . I am fine . . . thank you." Vaelia said, and looked around as Worian joined them.

"Where is the werecat?" Worian asked, impassive, and turned around to see Solembum hurrying towards them.

 _This way._ Solembum said, and Deaother stood up, helping Vaelia as well. But for some reason, Deaother felt that he shouldn't do that in the present company, so he immediately let go of her and walked ahead without looking back. Even so, he was sure he could feel Worian's eyes boring into his back.

 _Not the best thing to do . . . not the best thing to do._ Deaother told himself.

"Solembum . . . You didn't answer, where is Nesmrial?" Deaother called out.

 _She is heading towards Tierm._ Solembum replied,

"You mean, on the other side of the Spine." Deaother asked, curious.

 _Yes, and now, I am trying to find a way out of here, so please remain a little quiet._ Solembum said, and Deaother turned silent.

"Deaother . . ." Vaelia said suddenly, and he jumped. She was right next to him, and he hadn't even realized it. "This is same cave which has the magic waters . . . that is why he said that we would be able to recognize this place."

Deaother looked around again, and he had to admit: she was right.

 _Listen here, Eragonsson, you and your companions must stay here for a while, at least till tomorrow morning, after which you will all get out of the cave and run towards Osilon. Solembum said suddenly, popping out from the side. And be prepared for a fight, the Ra'zac will be searching for the Princess . . . and always accept help from the sky._ Solembum said, then jumped away.

"But where are you going?" Deaother called out after him, but he was too late, Solembum had already disappeared.

The Ra'zac attacked from the sides, while the emissary charged forward, attacking Dathedr.

"King, you and all your elves are going to fall!" The emissary said, but Dathedr ignored him and jumped back, just as his opponent swung a small knife at him.

 _He's using knives? . . . He has eight of them on his belt, and many more on his shoulders and knees . . . This is going to be difficult._ Dathedr observed as he dodged the emissary again.

Dathedr swung his sword around in return, but the blow was blocked. With lightning speed, a dagger came for his chest, but was stopped by the wards that surrounded him. Dathedr gave a sigh of relief, then pushed the emissary back and jabbed at his knee. It was dodged, and the emissary retaliated with a backhanded swing with his knife, but Dathedr ducked under it and stabbed forward.

Around him, elves battled the Ra'zac, magic the biggest advantage for the elves. The Ra'zac didn't have any wards protecting them, but they had the advantage of numbers.

 _Five hundred elves are trying to defeat what . . . thirty thousand Ra'zac? . . .Chances are slim . . ._ Dathedr thought and stepped back hurriedly as a knife came for his neck. He stopped then, holding his sword tightly in front of him.

"You are good, king Dathedr, but you have not even dueled me at my full strength . . ." The emissary said, and swung his arm around.

Dathedr spotted a knife flying towards him, faster than an arrow, almost invisible, and he tried to jump to the side and dodge it, but he was too slow. The knife embedded itself in his shoulder, piercing through the plated armor.

"What did I say? . . . You have not dueled me at my full strength . . ." The emissary said, as Dathedr grabbed the hilt of the knife and pulled it out with his left hand. It was covered in blood.

"I could say the same of you!" Dathedr replied and threw the knife at the emissary, who caught it.

"Thank you." He said, but Dathedr smiled.

"Nangoroth." Dathedr said, pointing his left palm at the knife in his opponent's hand, which blasted in a flash of red light. The emissary fell back, and Dathedr raised his palm once more.

"You die here! Risa deloi!" Dathedr raised, and the earth around the emissary rose and began to fall onto him, but the emissary jumped to the side, avoiding it.

"Not so fast, elf! Fram Knifr!"He yelled, pointing his left hand at Dathedr, who raised his own. But he had underestimated the person in front of him.

Before the king could even say anything, a knife flew out from the emissary's shoulder and embedded itself into Dathedr's torso. Dathedr stopped, his left hand raised, then looked down, to see that the knife had pierced his armor and embedded itself into his chest.

 _How-?_

Instead of muttering a word, only a choked gasp escaped Dathedr's lips. The knife had stabbed him straight in the heart, and he just some moments to live. He fell to his knees, and the elves around him gave cries of sorrow as they battled the Ra'zac, but this was not last of the emissary's atrocities.

Three more knives embedded themselves into the king's body, from the neck to the stomach, in one straight line. Only one word left the king's lips, "V-Vaelia . . ." and he fell to the side, his body unable to bear the pain any longer. The emissary walked up to him, and pulled off his helm, staring at him pitilessly. Dathedr stared at him, horrified, as he realized that he had been fighting a shade all this time.

"Y-You . . . a Shade? . . . Yes, you are!" Dathedr huffed; then looked up to the skies, gasping mightily.

"Vaelia? . . . hmm . . . is that your daughter?" Zar'rac asked the king, but he didn't get a reply, because the king had already left behind everything. A look of pure horror and regret crossed his face, and remained, the ghost of his final emotions.

There, amidst the flurries of sword and spears, and the magical chants of the Ancient Language, the king of elves died, slain by the Shade. A little away, the Menoa tree shook its branches as it felt the presence of the great evil within its vicinity, a torrent of rage coursing through her at the death of the elven king.


	60. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59: The Savior of hopes**

Angrenost watched, holding Leliana's hand tightly. He knew that she was staring at him and wondering why he was doing this, but there was no time to explain. Angrenost continued to stare at Heslant, who was beginning to walk towards those men, his hands held forward.

"Ah . . . Prince, don't you have any shame? You are sending a weak old man to fight for you?" Their captain said, grinning at Heslant, who seemingly scowled in his direction. Angrenost ignored the taunt.

Heslant stopped walking and held his hands out to the sides, palms pointing upwards.

 _What is he doing?_ Angrenost thought, watching silently. Then he realized that Heslant was reciting a spell, saying something in the Ancient Language. He waited, as the old man spoke.

Even the attackers watched him, suddenly curious.

 _He must have finished . . . I should grab her and pull her down . . ._ Angrenost thought, but he knew that the old man would give him a signal. Then suddenly, Heslant twitched his hands down slightly, then kneeled, his hands stretched out to the sides.

 _Now!_ Angrenost realized, then reached around with his free hand and grabbed Leliana's shoulder and crouched, pulling her with him.

"What are you doing?" The woman next to him asked, but Angrenost remained silent as he watched the old man. Then suddenly, soil rose like a pillar from around his feet, spiraling around him slowly and gradually covering Heslant completely.

"Adurna!" The old man exclaimed, and the soil grew muddy as water emerged from the air around them.

"Kveykva!" Heslant said, and the mud started glowing as lighting coursed through the water in the mud. He remained like that for a while, while everyone watched him, eyes wide. The attackers were backing away from him slowly, knowing that something was wrong.

Angrenost gently pulled Leliana closer to him, partially covering her from harm's way.

"My lord . . .what is he doing? And why are you acting like this?" Leliana asked him, her voice low. Angrenost turned and met her eyes, knowing that it would be unwise to keep her in the dark any longer.

"He is . . . saving us, and the city . . . and I need you to trust me now, alright? You need to stay with me, if you want to live . . ." Angrenost told her, then turned back to Heslant.

 _There is something about this woman . . . I can't bear to stare at her like this for long . . ._ Angrenost thought. His cheeks and ears were already burning red because of holding her close like this, and he dearly wished that he wouldn't have had to do that.

He tried to push the matter aside, although it was difficult to ignore his emotions when sweat rolled down from his forehead, and back of his head itched uncontrollably. But then, as he watched, a ring of the glowing mud rose around Heslant, and it began to glow even more fiercely until it was glowing white.

"Cover your face!" Angrenost said suddenly, holding her closer to him and closing his eyes.

There was an explosion, and a powerful wave of air hit Angrenost and Leliana, making both of them fall back. At the same time, most of the men were thrown onto the walls, several cracking their heads on the stone walls. Weapons clanked as they fell to the ground, and bodies also fell with a dull 'thump'. Only a handful remained, some of them were unconscious.

Heslant had let go of all the energy in his body, sending it outwards from his ring of mud and water, fueled with lightning. The explosion had been huge, but it had harmed everything that was above Heslant, and around him, but it didn't harm anything lower than him.

That was why, when Angrenost got up, he had only fallen to the ground with Leliana in his arms. But the same could not be said for the men around, almost all of them were dead now, and one of the upper walls of the castle had fallen in a pile of rubble with the blast, opening up a way to the upper floor.

"H-Heslant?" Leliana stuttered, as Angrenost helped her up, her eyes fixed ahead of her. Angrenost turned around as well, following her gaze.

The old man was lying in the centre of the courtyard, gasping, his face was facing the sky, which he unfortunately couldn't see. Leliana let go of his hand and ran towards him, and fell to her knees next to the old man, her eyes betraying her fear and anxiety. She hurriedly reached forward and shook his shoulders, as if trying to wake a sleeping man.

"Leliana . . ." Angrenost said, hurrying to her. "We . . . I know this is hard for you, but we cannot . . .stay here for long." Angrenost told her.

Leliana ignored him, grabbing Heslant's hand, who was still gasping. His fingers twitched, then grasped Leliana's tightly, while she laid her head on his chest, sobbing. Angrenost stared at two of them, then took a look around him. There was no one there, they were alone.

"My d-dear child . . . L-Leliana . . . I t-thank you v-very much f-for everything . . . consider this a-a r-repayment o-of sorts . . ." The old man whispered to her suddenly, while she held his hand tightly.

"Y-You fool . . . you old f-fool!" Leliana stammered, and Heslant seemed to chuckle slightly, "There was n-no need to do this . . . w-we could have surrendered . . ."

Heslant ran his shivering hand through her hair, "I-I'd rather die f-for the good of A-Alagaesia t-than f-for nothing . . ."

Leliana didn't reply, but Angrenost came to his side as well, a little sad himself. "Heslant . . . I thank you for saving me . . ." Angrenost told him, while Heslant nodded.

"Prince, c-can I ask a f-favor of y-you?" The old man said weakly, as Angrenost grabbed his other hand in both of his own.

"Of course, anything."

"P-Promise me this . . . once more . . . T-That you w-will take c-c-care of L-Leliana . . . and k-keep her safe and h-happy in the coming months . . . she deserves it . . . her life has been a hard one . . . please, Prince . . . she n-needs you." Heslant said, but in a very low voice.

Angrenost stared at him, but he knew that it would be a great sin to not grant a dying man his last wish. He also knew that this could have severe consequences, and could lead to many possibilities, which he didn't want to think about right now.

"Aye . . . I promise that I will take care of her, keep her happy and safe . . . with me." Angrenost said, and Heslant smiled, and laid his head back.

"T-That's all I-I ask for . . . I am r-r-ready to walk t-this . . . l-lonely path n-n-now . . . I am ready." Heslant said faintly, and exhaled. In a few moments, his hand went limp, and Angrenost gently laid it on the ground. Leliana was still crying, her head on his chest.

 _I have another responsibility now . . . her . . ._ Angrenost thought, staring at the woman. In his heart, he felt deep regret and sorrow for the old man's death, but he didn't let those emotions rise and fog his thoughts. He needed clarity now. He stooped and placed his hands on Leliana's shoulders, and gently lifter her to her knees, saying, "Please, we have to go . . . Come on . . . get up . . ."

She obeyed, although only on his direction. She stood, still sobbing, staring at Heslant, then turned away from Angrenost and walked a few paces ahead, her back to him. There was silence between them for several minutes as she stopped crying, and the silence continued on for several more minutes afterwards, until one of them decided to break it.

"H-H was like a father to me . . . you can't expect me to just leave him here . . ." Leliana said, not looking at him. Angrenost knew that she was holding back tears.

"He will get a proper funeral once . . . the city is safe . . . but right now there isn't much time, we should get to the governor." Angrenost insisted, walking to her, but she turned around and glared at him with a tear streaked face.

"No! We have to get some things straight first!" Leliana shouted, and Angrenost stared at her, transfixed. No one had yelled at him like that before. "Why do you care so much about what happens to me? And why should I come with you?"

 _I can't believe this . . . A Prince doesn't promise to keep someone safe, especially a stranger, everyday._ Angrenost thought, knowing that he would have to convince her somehow.

"Because I don't want anything to happen to you . . . these men might kill you, or do something worse . . . which I-"

"What do you mean by something 'worse'? . . . If you'd care to explain, that is." Leliana interrupted him in an annoyed tone.

"I meant . . . they might . . ." Angrenost stammered, not wanting to say something awkward or wrong. "They might . . . abduct you . . ." Angrenost said, and she stared at him.

"And what are you going to do?" Leliana asked him, still furious, her eyebrows raised.

"I . . . am going to keep you safe from harm." Angrenost said.

"I can handle myself, Prince, and you better not forget that . . . I am not as daughter of some noble or a governor or monarch. I am woman who has grown up amongst the suffering and the poor, and I know how to shield myself from harm . . . so don't you dare try to act like some hero who rides off with-" Leliana was ranting on, but Angrenost knew that there was no time for this.

"Quiet!" He shouted, pointing a finger at her. She fell silent immediately. "Now . . . you are coming with me, because I want you to. Because I order you to, as your Prince . . . and also because there is nowhere else to go except to the Governor, because those bastards might enter the castle at any time, and I don't want you to run into them and become their new entertainment . . . do you understand?" Angrenost asked her, authority in his voice. His patience truly was exhausted.

Leliana stared at him then, her expression of anger softening a bit, "W-Why? Who am I to you? Just some common woman in the city . . . why do you want to protect me?"

"Because . . . you are a woman of my kingdom, and you are my responsibility just as much as you owe me your loyalty . . . and I promised Heslant I would . . . stay with you . . . and also because of another reason . . ." Angrenost said, although he wished he wouldn't have said the last few words.

The woman stared at him, "What's the other reason? Because you think I am a weakling who cannot protect herself?"

Angrenost stammered again when he replied, "N-No, of course not . . . because I . . . don't want to leave you behind like this . . ."

"I am afraid I don't understand you, my lord." Leliana said, although there wasn't much anger in her voice now.

"Just call me Angrenost." He replied.

"Fine then, Angrenost, what did you mean?" Leliana asked him again, in the same tone.

"I meant that I don't want to see you hurt or harmed in anyway, do you understand?" Angrenost said. "And it is within my power to keep you safe, so I will . . . Now, let's go. More of these maniacs might be on the way."

Leliana didn't reply, but nodded. She was still staring at Heslant, although there weren't any tears in her eyes anymore.

"Leliana . . . please? . . ." Angrenost asked, staring at her as he began to walk away.

"I am coming." Leliana replied, hurrying to his side. As she went, she stopped and picked up a bow that the man had dropped, also his quiver of arrows.

"We might need this . . ." She said, and Angrenost nodded.

They hurried towards the pile of rubble, that was the broken part of the wall. They could climb that rubble and get into the higher floors of the castle, then reach the Governor.

 _Lenora, we must get back to the castle!_ Illeria told her dragon, as they watched Fealia dive towards the ports, where men had disembarked and were moving towards the city, having defeated most of the guards of the city.

 _Why?_ Lenora asked, flapping to the side so that she could get a better look of the castle. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it.

 _There was a huge flash over there . . . I think there is something wrong, lets go and check, what if something is wrong?_ Illeria told her dragon.

Lenora growled and began to flap towards the castle.

As they got closer, and flew over one of the courtyards, did they realize what was wrong. Men, and women were running out of the castle and onto the streets, and inside, one of the courtyards looked like it had been assaulted with a siege machine. A wall had been reduced to rubble, and corpses littered the courtyard.

 _Did you see that? . . . I think we better check that courtyard, some of those men look like those pirates who have attacked Tierm._ Lenora said, a little surprised at what they had seen.

 _Drop me there, I will take a look around . . ._ Illeria told her, beginning to undo the knots around her legs that tied her to the saddle.

 _Are you sure?_ Lenora asked her, uncertain.

 _Yes . . ._ Illeria replied. You can't enter that place, can you?

 _No, you're right, I can't._ Lenora replied, and dived, heading for the courtyard. They flew, almost perpendicular to the ground, and Illeria felt the wind blow past her, her hair trailing behind her.

Then, Lenora flapped twice, almost pounding the air with her wigs, and brought them to stop just above the walls of the castle. She then flapped even more slowly, descending gradually into the courtyard.

 _That will be enough . . . See you soon, Lenora._ Illeria said, and jumped off.

She fell for a few heartbeats, and landed on her knees, in the courtyard. In front of her was the body of a very old man, one of the civilians of Tierm.

 _This man . . . he's dead, but I don't see any cuts of bruises on his body . . . I wonder what happened._ Illeria thought, examining the man's head.

 _I don't know . . . I think, you better move from there, you are . . . what are you doing?_ Lenora asked her suddenly, as she saw her Rider run towards the rubble in the wall.

 _There is a guarded mind inside, and it is moving that way . . . I am going to find out who it is . . ._ Illeria said, drawing her silver sword, Indroniel, as she climbed the huge pile of rubble.

"Did you hear that?" Leliana said suddenly, making Angrenost jump. He turned around to look at her, and raised an eyebrow as she nocked an arrow in her bow.

"Do you know how to use it?" Angrenost asked her, pointing at the bow.

"Of course, why would I carry it if things were otherwise?" She asked him back sharply.

Angrenost didn't say anything, but watched her as she turned around walked forwards. They were in a passageway in the Grand Quarters, heading for the Governor's hall, which was probably where he had locked himself in with his knights. They walked forward quickly, and Angrenost hoped that he would find the room in time. The way that they had climbed the rubble into the floor, anyone else could also have followed.

"Angrenost, I am sure I heard something back there . . ." Leliana told him, and he glanced back down the passageway. There was no one there.

"I don't see anyone there, do you?" Angrenost asked her, pointing at the other end of the passage, from where they had entered.

"No . . . I suppose I was hearing things, then." Leliana said, turning around.

The passage was painted red, with golden candle brackets on the walls, almost all of which had burning candles on them. Ahead of them, the passage parted into two, both the ways going in opposite ways. Angrenost walked forward and stopped, while Leliana stood next to him.

"Which way now?" She asked him, while he scratched his head, confused.

"I . . . don't exactly remember . . ." Angrenost said, and stumbled back as he saw an irritated expression on her face. "What? It has been a long time since I came here . . ."

Suddenly, her expression changed to one of shock, and she hurriedly nocked an arrow in her bow and pointed it directly at him, and he jumped, staring at the tip of the bolt.

"What are you doing?" Angrenost asked her, knocked out of his wits at her sudden hostility.

"Duck!" She shouted, almost exasperated.

"What?!" Angrenost replied, confused.

But abruptly, pain raced across the back of his head and a powerful force shoved him to the side, making him fall to the ground.

 _Blasted smithereens!_ Angrenost cursed, as he fell to the ground, clutching the back of his head and yelling in pain.

A figure leapt over him and moved toward Leliana, who aimed her bow and shot an arrow. But the arrow stopped in midair and fell to the ground, and Leliana stared at it, wide-eyed. A silver sword was swung by the figure, and it struck Leliana's bow as she tried to back away, snapping it into two.

"No!" Angrenost yelled, getting to his feet. The figure turned around, and Angrenost recognized it as an elf. But he didn't care, all he could think of was keeping Leliana safe, more out of personal concern than because of duty.

"Run!" Angrenost shouted, drawing his sword.

The elf jumped to the side and held her own sword in front of her with one hand, her eyes focused on his sword. She was beautiful, with silver hair and gray eyes, and striking features.

 _I think I have seen her before . . . but where_ Angrenost wondered, but he couldn't wonder anymore. The elf charged at him, jabbing at him with a lightning fast jab. It was all he could do to parry the blow and retreat away from her, but she pressed her attack, slashing at his chest. He tried to block the blow, but the attack was so powerful, the sword flew out of his grip and fell to the ground.

 _Bloody hell!_ Angrenost cursed, and dived to the side, dodging her assault. He rolled around and got to one knee, then turned around as he realized that she was already upon him, but he yelled, "Wait, I am Prince Angrenost! Wait!"

The elf stopped in mid swing, her sword mere inches from his throat.

"You don't look like him . . ." She said, and Angrenost noticed that her palm was glittering under the handle of the sword.

"You're a Dragon Rider! The one who attacked the ship!" Angrenost exclaimed, relief coursing through him.

"Are you sure you are the Prince?" She asked him, and he nodded. "Aren't you supposed to be at Beirland?"

Angrenost stared at her, "I am, but I was abducted as soon as I got there, I . . . but how do you know that?"

"Because I was stationed there . . . and I knew that you were coming." The elf said.

"You are Illeria?" Angrenost asked her and her eyes, which seemed to have been strained due to suspicion, suddenly eased.

"Yes . . . I am Illeria, Rider of Lenora." She said, and sheathed her sword, then extended a hand to him, which he grasped. A sudden jolt down went his spine as she brought him back to his feet.

"You are amazing at sword fighting . . ." Angrenost said, staring at her as she stooped and picked up his sword.

"I was trained by Arya Shadeslayer . . ." Illeria replied, handing him the sword, which he took.

Angrenost turned back to the place where they had come from, and he saw Leliana standing there, watching the two of them.

"Who is she?" Illeria asked him as she walked towards them, throwing away the quiver that she had taken.

"She's Leliana . . . it's a little complicated, but right now I have to protect her." Angrenost said, and he knew that he had got an awkward stare from the Rider. "I have to get to the Governor, we have to tell him that it is safe outside . . . have the men outside been taken care of?" Angrenost asked her as Leliana joined them, eyeing Illeria suspiciously.

"Yes, Prince . . . Follow me, I'll take you to the Governor." Illeria said, then returned Leliana's stare. "I am Rider Illeria, if you must know, Lady."

Leliana nodded, "I must . . . lets go, Angrenost." She said, coming to his side.

"Follow me." Illeria said again, loudly this time. Together, the three of them walked down the passage, knowing that now most of the attackers had been defeated.

The city of Tierm had been saved from Freohr's forces, but several sacrifices had been made to ensure that the city would stand. The greatest of which had been done by Heslant the Monk, and now, the Prince and hero of Tierm walked along with Leliana, aware of the responsibility he had of keeping her safe.

Heslant had unknowingly changed Angrenost's and Leliana's lives forever, intertwining them with the most subtle, yet powerful bond, which would unnoticeably grow to the extent that it would be undeniable to both, the Prince and the woman of the people.


	61. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60: The Dragon way**

Ephian stood on the edge of a cliff, staring down at the city of Galfni, watching the last of the army enter the tunnels from the dwarf city. _Jiarha . . . We have failed . . . we couldn't stop Orúm, or even find Elva . . ._ Ephian said, the muscles on his face hardened in his anguish, and his eyes closed tightly. He couldn't believe that he was now powerless to stop the Shade, and to save the dwarven empire.

 _No Ephian . . ._ A reply came, but Ephian jumped. He had expected Jiarha to reply, but instead, it was Eridor who had answered.  
The blue dragon was lying on the ground, his wings spread out. The cliff they were on was bare rock and soil, without any trees on it. Only a few shrubs and bushes spread sporadically to the south.

Jiarha was lying close to Eridor, her wings tucked to her side.

 _But what can we do now? . . . That army has already entered the tunnels, how can we get them now?_ Ephian asked him, not expecting him to give him a proper reply. But to his immense surprise, the dragon got up, and stretched his wings high, scales glistening.

 _We are going to go to Farthen Dur, before Orúm reaches there, and we are going to tell the king of the incoming attack . . . He can fortify the city, and prepare the defense. I am pretty sure that the capital of dwarves has enough soldiers and is quite defendable._ Eridor told him, and Ephian stared at him, astounded.

 _That's a brilliant idea!_ Ephian told him, smiling. _Why didn't I think of it? . . . We should get moving, then!_

Eridor grinned. _I was hoping you'd say that._

Crugan stood in the balcony of the city of Ureimes, smirking widely. In front of him was a vast expanse of plains, and to the distance, mountains of varying heights.

 _Finally, my work with that Rider is done . . ._ Crugan thought, rubbing his cheek. His skin felt smooth as he scratched it, the place where he had got gashed as he had worked at the Rider.

 _She has a lot of potential . . . and energy, and now she knows where to apply it._ Crugan thought, and turned around. He had been waiting for the Rider to come to him, but he realized that she was already there, watching him. "Hello . . .Elva, how do you feel?" Crugan asked her, his eyes boring into hers.

The Rider before him was sneering, her fair face now having a dark aura about it. Her blue eyes had changed, they had darkened to the violet color, and the diamond patch on her forehead was glowing. "Very well . . . master." Elva replied, and folded her arms as Crugan laughed, a horrible, manic laugh.

The sun was low on the horizon as Jiarha flew forward, with Eridor on her back. They were flying as fast as they could towards Farthen Dur, and they had not taken a break at all during the entire day. Eridor flew next to her, silent as the wind. Jiarha stared at him, and she noticed the strains on his face and eyes, but she didn't say anything.

 _He s thinking about Elva . . . I wouldn't like it if I was disturbed in such a situation._ Jiarha thought, hoping that Eridor would feel better soon.  
She reflected back now, to the time when she had fallen unconscious and how he had helped her, and earlier, how he had saved her from toppling off the cliff in that earthquake, and now, how he had got the idea of going Tronjheim and helping Orik. She knew that any average dragon would not have able to do half these things, especially when they had lost their Rider, if they had one.

But Eridor was constantly trying to distract himself, and Jiarha was trying to help him wherever she could. The loving emotions that Ephian felt for Elva had only aggravated her cause to help him, but in the past few days, she had felt her concern for him change somehow, as if she felt something much more for him.

 _I have always been protective of the people who are with me . . . but now, I don't just feel protective . . . I feel . . . different . . . I want to feel the pain, instead of Eridor . . . I want to separate him from his anguish . . . why do I feel like that? Why do I want to . . . make him happy so badly?_ Jiarha asked herself, completely confused. Could it be what she thought it was?

 _Because you love him, partner-of-my-mind . . ._ A voice said suddenly in her head, and she nearly lost the balance of her flight in her surprise.

 _Ephian!_ Jiarha said, stunned at his abrupt reply.

 _Who else? . . . you know, just the way you managed to recognize my emotions for Elva, I have recognized your emotions for him . . . and I can tell you, you love him a lot._ Ephian told her, and she was sure he was smiling.

 _Y-You are sure that I . . . ?_

 _Completely. And you really should tell him this . . . What?_ Ephian asked her, realizing that she was hesitating.

 _I . . . I can't tell him this now, I don't know . . . I am not even sure_. Jiarha said in a low voice.

 _Why not?_ Ephian asked her, surprised.

 _I . . . oh come on, you know why!_ Jiarha said, annoyed, and she knew that Ephian was grinning.

 _Jiarha, you are shy? You?! Of all people?_ Ephian asked her, laughing.

She felt a little amused, and embarrassed, about it as well. _Well . . . yes, I am a little shy . . . and I can't help it._

 _You know, if you remain shy, you won't get him . . . I think you should confess your feelings to him. That way, many things will get sorted out._ Ephian told her, and she considered what he was saying.

 _And what if he . . . you know, doesn't want me?_ Jiarha asked him.

 _Trust me . . . there's no chance of that happening._ Ephian told her, much to her joy.

"I have a very important task for you, Elva." Crugan said, leading the Rider towards a huge mess hall.

"Your wish is my command, master." The Rider replied, much to Crugan's satisfaction.

The hall they were in was dark, there was hardly any light except that of the moonlight. Crugan walked in confidently, and the Rider followed, looking straight. They walked into the hall, and to the centre of it and stopped. Crugan looked at the Rider, she was wearing dark armor, her hair was tied in a ponytail, and her eyes were looking at the ground. She had already noticed the sight of wild magic that was present in there. It was a large hole in the ground. She shuddered slightly as she stared at it, and for some reason, her eyes went out of focus, but she regained her demeanor within seconds.

"So, here's what I want you to do, Elva. I want you to enter this . . . hole, and make your way to the army that is already present in the Beor Mountains, through the tunnels from Galfni . . . Once there, I want you to join forces with Orúm and help him defeat the dwarves, is that fine?" Crugan asked her; unsure whether she would be able to understand everything at once.

"Go through the hole, go to the army from the tunnels in Galfni, and help Orúm. I understand." Elva replied obediently, her voice completely stripped of emotion. It was empty, lifeless.

Crugan smiled, then drew a sword, along with it's scabbard, and handed it to Elva. The sword was dark purple in color, and had once belonged the mate of Anurin. He had taken it from the battle as a memento, but now he knew that Elva would find it more useful.

"Use it against the enemies . . ." Crugan said, and she nodded, then walked forward and jumped into the waters.

Eridor? Jiarha asked him slowly. They were still flying towards Farthen Dur, and Ephian was fast asleep on her back.

 _What is it, Jiarha?_ Eridor asked her, turning his face to look at her.

 _I thought that . . . maybe we should land and rest for a while, we have been pushing ourselves too hard. Jiarha said, and she was right._ Her wings were already aching with the stress, as was her neck from looking straight all the time.

 _No, we can't, we have to get to Tronjheim!_ Eridor replied instantly.

 _What is the point of getting there is we are in no condition to fight? We will just be landing there, and falling asleep._ Jiarha told him, and he didn't reply for a while, but she could tell that her words had made some impact.

 _Alright . . . let's land as soon as we find a suitable place . . ._

They flew on in silence then, Jiarha went a little slower now, staring down. They were going through a huge valley, mountains rising high above them on either sides, but the place was covered with trees, which was why there wasn't enough place for them to land. Jiarha kept looking, and she spotted a clear plain on the banks of a small stream that was flowing in between the vegetation.

We can land on the banks of that stream, down there. Jiarha said, and without waiting for a reply, began to descend gradually, flying in circles around the spot. Eridor dived straight for the stream, swooping past Jiarha, who growled.

 _Not fair!_

 _Not my fault that Ephian is asleep._ Eridor replied amusedly.

After a couple of minutes, Jiarha landed on the banks of the stream as well, and stood straight. Eridor had landed on the other bank, and was grinning at her. She growled again, annoyed, then dropped to her knees, jerking Ephian out of his sleep. She heard him grumble, and felt his confused emotions as he looked around, his eyes blurry, then grumble something again.

 _W-What happened?_ Ephian asked after a moment, rubbing his face with his hand, then stretching mightily.

 _About time you were up . . ._ Jiarha told him as he unstrapped himself from the saddle.

 _Is something wrong?_ Ephian asked her, and she turned to him and nodded. _What is it, then?_

 _I . . . are you sure I should confess my feelings to him right now?_ Jiarha asked him, and he walked up to her neck and scratched the hard scales, smiling, slowly coming forward.

 _I think you should . . ._ Ephian reached her face and scratched her beneath chin, a sad look on his face. _I hesitated . . . for too long, and look at what happened . . . I lost her . . . I don't want that to happen to you . . ._ Ephian said, and hugged her gently.

She licked his neck happily and said. _I love you Ephian, and you know that we are going to get Elva back, and you are going to confess your feelings to her as well._ Ephian hugged her even more tightly then, rubbing his face in her scales. I hope you are right. Jiarha hummed softly, but Ephian let go of her neck and began to remove her saddle. _But I am not going to keep you from getting your hearts wish, Jiarha . . . you always wanted a mate, and now, you are going to have one . . ._

Jiarha got to her feet then as she felt the saddle get off her back and fall to the ground. _What a relief . . ._ Jiarha said, flexing her back and unfurling her wings.

 _Just . . . don't leave me all alone here._ Ephian said, then pulled out a blanket from one of the saddle bags and settled on the ground. _Good luck, and have fun . . ._

 _What is that supposed to mean?_ Jiarha asked him, irritated.

 _Oh, no nothing._ Ephian replied, chuckling.

Jiarha stared at him for a while, then thought it best to ignore him, and began to crawl towards Eridor, was staring up at the half moon. She stared at him, watching the moonlight being reflected off his perfect, beautiful scales. She stared at his wide shoulders, powerful limbs and large wings, knowing he was just the way she had imagined her mate to be. Now, the only thing remained was to find out whether he really would accept her.

 _He will accept me . . . he will . . . we have both done a lot for each other, we have been there for each other in the hardest of times . . . he will accept . . ._ Jiarha kept telling herself as she crossed the shallow stream. She went up to him and lay down next to him, not saying anything.

 _It's such a beautiful thing, the ever-changing-never-same-moon . . . every night, I look at it, and every night, I see it in a different way . . ._ Eridor told her, while Jiarha stared at him, not noticing the moon at all. _I and Elva studied about what the Grey Folk regarded the different faces of the moons . . .this half moon, it's said that on such days, two halves join to become a complete thing . . . Odd, huh? I have never felt anything like it._ Eridor told her, and then turned around.

Jiarha jumped as he suddenly met her eyes, and nodded, looking away, towards Ephian. She could see that he was watching her, and that he wasn't asleep yet.

 _Jiarha? . . . Is there something that you want to tell me?_ Eridor asked her, and she turned around and met his eyes, a little surprised that he had guessed it.

 _How do you know that?_ Jiarha asked.

 _Elva told me that . . . when someone behaves in the way that you are behaving, they want to say something, but are a little reluctant . . . come, tell me what it is. You know you can trust me . . . with anything._ Eridor told her, a glint in his blue pupils from which she was unable to avert her eyes.

 _You miss her a lot, don't you?_ Jiarha asked him, and his head dipped when he heard her. _I . . . was a little worried about you . . ._ Jiarha said abruptly, not knowing what else she could say.

 _Me? . . . No need to worry about me, I am fine._ Eridor said, lying his head on the ground and staring up at her.

 _Eridor . . . there is something I really have to tell you . . ._ Jiarha said suddenly, unable to stop herself anymore. She could feel amused emotions coming to her from Ephian, who was still watching her.

 _Sure, what is it?_ Eridor asked her, curious all of a sudden.

Jiarha stared at him for a while looking into his eyes, then turned around and took a look at Ephian, who seemed to laughing under the blanket at her sudden giveaway. _Its . . . Eridor . . . I don't know how to say this . . ._ Jiarha said, not looking at him. She was in a really bad situation now, and Eridor was in her mind. She couldn't even lie to him. But suddenly, she felt something come over her, and she turned around to see Eridor draping a wing over her, and she met his eyes to see the same thing that she was feeling for him. She saw compassion, care, concern for her in Eridor's eyes. But that was not all.

 _He loves me . . ._ Jiarha though to herself, then suddenly realized what she was thinking. But Eridor didn't seem to have understood, at least, he didn't respond to it.

 _Jiarha, you can tell me whatever you wish . . . Anything . . . you are my best friend, and it is thanks to you that I am still sane and able to search for my Rider without going mad . . ._ Eridor told her, and she nodded, but moved away a bit, so that his wing didn't cover her completely.

 _You said that . . . when only half of the moon can be seen, that day two halves join to become one forever, didn't you?_ Jiarha asked him, and he stared at her, a little surprised.

 _Yes I did, in a way . . . What are you trying to say?_ Eridor asked her, his eyes suddenly beginning to glow. Jiarha noticed his emotions, and she pried in a little bit more, and she realized that he really did love her, but he had been scared to tell her earlier, and now, he was too disturbed to tell her.

But now she knew, as she felt what he felt, that he had always yearned for her ever since Elva had disappeared. He had wanted to spend all his time with her, talk to her, make her happy.

 _Jiarha?_ Eridor asked suddenly, and she jumped and retreated into herself.

 _I . . . I was trying to say exactly what you are feeling right now, Eridor . . ._ Jiarha said mischievously. Now, she knew that she could have him as her mate, forever.

 _And what was I feeling?_ Eridor asked her, he was playing along as well.

 _You were . . . oh, leave this!_ Jiarha said, unable to stop herself anymore. Instead, she crouched and jumped forward, pushing the ground hard with her limbs, then tackled him to the ground.

Eridor roared as he fell to the ground. _What are you doing?_ Eridor asked her, surprised, but she ignored him. Eridor stared at her for a while as she tried to push him down, then he rolled around powerfully so that he was now on top of her. Instantly, he was forcing her down, buffeting her with his wings.

To the side, Ephian got to his feet hurriedly, wondering what was going on. Jiarha growled, and heaved upwards with all her legs, lifting him and throwing him off her, to the side. He fell to the ground, then got up, but she jumped onto him as soon as he did, forcing him down again.

 _Give up!_ Jiarha told him.

 _Alright . . . alright, I give up . . ._ Eridor said, but Jiarha didn't get off him. Instead, she coiled her tail around his neck and pulled it slowly to the side, so that they were facing each other. She stared into his eyes, and he stared into hers, completely helpless.

 _You first . . . Speak!_ Jiarha said, snarling.

Eridor stared at her for a while, then said. _What do I say?_

 _The truth, Eridor . . . what do you feel for me?_ Jiarha asked him. He didn't seem to want to answer, because he growled and tried to break free of her, but she was too strong. Roaring, she grabbed his forelegs with her own, and gave his neck a small squeeze.

Eridor didn't reply, he was still trying to break free from her.

 _All I have to do is squeeze, Eridor . . ._ Jiarha told him, and he became still, his eyes filled with confusion.

 _You won't . . ._ Eridor said.

 _Do you really want to push your luck so far? . . . I'll tell you one thing, Eridor . . . I hate people who aren't honest with me, but I hate those people more who don't tell me the truth about them, especially when I ask, which is why I am doing what I am doing right now . . . so tell me the truth right now . . . and I will return the favor._ Jiarha told, her voice extremely loud in his head.

 _Alright Jiarha . . . I understand!_ Eridor replied frantically, and Jiarha loosened her tail around his neck. _I didn't think I would tell you what I feel in this way . . . Jiarha I . . . I don't know how it say this either . . ._ Eridor said, averting his eyes from her. She growled and squeezed his neck slightly again, and pulled his head closer to hers. _Jiarha . . . I . . . I love you . . . I love you with all my heart and mind, and I always have . . . and I always will, as long I keep breathing . . ._ Eridor told her, and Jiarha could make out that he really meant it.

She growled in satisfaction, and pulled her tail away from his neck. He let his neck fall to the ground after that, and Jiarha got off him, staring at him.[ _Thank you for being honest Eridor . . . I was beginning to worry . . ._ Jiarha said, then began to turn around.

 _Hey! You didn't tell me something._ Eridor said suddenly, getting to his feet hurriedly.

 _What is that?_ Jiarha asked him without turning around.

 _What . . . what do you think about it? . . . I confessed my heart to you, but you haven't accepted or rejected it yet . . ._ Eridor said, and Jiarha grinned.

 _Oh, I will tell you, don't worry . . ._ Jiarha said, grinning, and began to walk towards Ephian. The blue dragon clearly didn't seem to have liked it. But suddenly, she heard a deep growl from behind, and before she could a react, something curled around her hind leg and pulled, making her fall to the ground forcefully. She rolled around hurriedly, but Eridor pulled her towards him with his tail, then he crawled forwards and on top of her. Jiarha didn't do anything, she just lay there, waiting to see what he would do next.

Eridor let go of her hind leg, and brought his face close to hers again. _Do you know what I hate?_ Eridor asked her, and she shook her head sideways. _I hate it when people don't keep their part of the bargain . . . you said you're going to return the favor . . . so return it._ Eridor said, and she wriggled a little uncomfortably.

 _Return the favor? . . . fine then . . . Eridor . . . will you be my mate?_ Jiarha asked him, smiling toothily.

There was complete silence, even Ephian seemed to have stopped breathing in anticipation. Eridor stared at her for a moment then, astounded at her words, then slowly, joy and happiness came to his eyes, and he growled and nodded several times. Jiarha kept grinning, knowing that he was extremely happy, and so was she. Although, she had hardly expected that the day would end in such a way.

 _I . . . will be honored to, Jiarha . . ._ Eridor said, and Jiarha roared in joy, then reached forward and licked his cheek with her huge, barbed tongue.

 _The honor is mine . . . my mate._


	62. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61: Dwarven Ideals**

Ephian took a deep breath of relief. They had reached the gates to Tronjheim, and it was still bustling with dwarves going in and out of it. Although there weren't any children around, and all the dwarves had a sense urgency about them, they all seemed to be safe and sound for now.

 _The city has not been attacked . . ._ Jiarha said.

 _It will be soon, unless we hurry._ Eridor replied.

They were still in the air, were heading towards the gates, discussing how they would convince the king about the threat that Orúm posed.

 _I think that we will have to show our memories to him . . . or to his magicians._ Ephian told them as the dragons dived, wind blowing hard onto them.

 _I guess that's the best we can do._ Eridor said. Ephian nodded.

Evert since last night, Eridor had been behaving quite nicely with Ephian, and Ephian knew that it was because of the fact that Jiarha had mated him, and that Ephian had helped her a lot in the process. They flew in silence, and slowly landed in front of the gates. The dwarves yelled in surprise and backed away from them, staring and pointing at them, blabbering in dwarvish all the while.

 _They certainly seemed to be surprised to see us . . . I wonder what's wrong?_ Jiarha said, staring at the dwarves, most of whom seemed to be suspicious.

 _Let's just get to the king . . . Their suspicions will be laid to rest once we save them from Orúm._ Ephian told her, and she growled in agreement.

 _Come on._ Eridor said, already moving towards the gates.

Orúm stared at a couple of his captains, who were accusing and cursing each other. Both of them were wearing chainmail, and were yelling at the top of their voices.

 _What do they thing they are doing?_ Orúm thought. He was sitting on a rock and listening to them, ahis face hidden behind his clasped hands.

They were in the caves, just a couple of days away from Tronjheim. They had spent one day trudging down the dark caverns, and it had been enough to make most of the men gulp in fear. They weren't used to dark places like these, most of the battles back in Alalea and Roascroft had taken place In forests and open battle fields, with the armies facing each other. Now, they had to assault an underground city, with hardly any experience on their side.

It was lucky for them that they had several dwarven guides, a few of whom knew the layout of the dwarven capital. Orúm knew that he had taken a big risk by trusting them to guide them safely through the tunnels, but if something went wrong, he knew that he would lead his army all the way back to Galfni, and destroy the city, then go towards Farthen Dur on foot with his army. He didn't care how many of his men died, he would assault the city alone if he had to, but he himself would never give up.

But right now, the worst thing that could have been taking place in between a march to war. "You don't even know how to drink, I saw you pour wine into your nose once!" One of the captains yelled, shaking his fist at the other captain's face.

Orúm smirked. He had always liked such people, who didn't care about consequences, but made sure that the people they hated knew that they were being hated by someone.

"And when was that? . . . It seems that you drink too much, because you don't even know what you are saying! I saw you filling your face from the commander's larder yesterday." The other one replied, pushing his fist away.

"Enough!" Orúm said, getting to his feet and standing up to his full height. "Enough, I tell you! . . . Now . . . What is the problem?"

Both the captains had fallen silent when he had suddenly spoken, and both of them remained silent for a while, all of a sudden not willing to speak.

"What happened? Why aren't you speaking now?" Orúm asked them, now becoming angry. "Fine then, you," He said, pointing at one of the captains. "Tell me, what is all this about?"

"I . . . He got drunk yesterday, him and a couple more of his friends, and they entered one of our tents and attacked my men, killed a couple of them as well . . .and it was today morning that they realized that they had entered the wrong tents, and killed the wrong people." The captain said, pointing an accusing finger at the other man.

Orúm watched him for a while, then turned to the other one. "Is this true? . . . Answer me, and fast!" He spat.

"No, its not!" The captain said. "We had gone to the right tent, and a couple of his men were trying to steal our armor because they had ruined their own . . . and they attacked us when we entered, hoping to make a clean getaway." He finished and glared at the man in front of him.

"That's not true! You blithering rascal, you and your men entered the tents of the . . ." The man's words trailed away, then he fell to his knees, his eyes wide and staring at the other captain's direction in horror. The other captain stared at him as well, surprised at his condition, then he began to back away slowly, staring at the man.

"What's wrong with you? Get up!" Orúm said, walking forward, but he stopped. He noticed that the man's eyes were completely out of focus, and slowly an expression of wonder came to his face, his eyes wide and a smile on his face, although his mouth was open.

Suddenly, there was a pained choke, and Orúm turned around.

"What . . .?" Orúm said, jumping back and drawing his sword.

There was a dark sword poking out of the captain's chest, and he was staring at it. He looked down at its tip, then gulped one last time as the sword was pulled out of him. He fell to the ground then, and Orúm looked at his killer.

What he saw left him completely confused, just as much as the person before him.

A dwarf woman panted heavily as she reached the dragon hold, and she bent over, gasping for breath.

Why do they have to be up here all the time? She thought, as sweat rolled down her face.

"Hello?" Someone said suddenly, and she looked up and gave a weary smile. She was staring at Trellony, the Rider stationed at Tronjheim.

"Argetlam . . . The . . . Dragons and Riders who attacked Galfni . . . They have come here . . ." The woman said, and Trellony raised an eyebrow.

"Ephian is here? . . . I thought . . . oh well, that midget Elva must also be with him." The Rider said, and the dwarf stared at her, confused.

"Pardon me . . . I didn't understand." She said.

"I will explain later, but right now I have to go and meet the king . . ." Trellony said, then walked past her. The woman turned around and jumped as she saw the huge brown dragoness, Gedwëy.

"You scared me." She said, shaking her head slightly.

 _And I enjoyed it . . ._ Gedwëy replied amusedly, then took off as Trellony took her place on the dragon's back.

Ephian sighed, staring at the nine dwarven guards standing in front of him and his companions. They were at Tronjheim, it was just ahead of them, but they had been stopped at the opening of the tunnel itself by these dwarves.

"I am sorry, Rider, but I cannot let you enter until the king permits it." The dwarf in dark, plated armor said, shaking his head, his beard wagging from side to side.

Ephian got off Jiarha and walked up to him, while Eridor snarled at them. A couple of dwarves backed away from him hurriedly, as smoke erupted from his nostrils.

"Why is that? . . . I am a Rider, and can't you see two living dragons here." Ephian asked him.

"I don't know . . . It's the orders we have got, and the ones we have to follow." The dwarf replied, holding up his hand. "I assure you, you probably know more about the reason for this than me."

 _Could it be because we attacked Galfni?_ Eridor said, and Ephian turned to him, nodding.

 _Quite possible . . . I killed one of the chief's . . . it doesn't seem to have been the best idea after all._ Ephian said, walking back to Jiarha, who was staring at Eridor. The blue dragon was staring back at her, a glow in his eyes.

 _Who's that?_ Ephian asked suddenly, looking up as he spotted a brown dragon flying down towards them.

 _Oh no . . ._ Jiarha said, a little irritated.

 _Its Gedwëy . . . well, now I can tell her that I do have a mate._ Eridor said, a small grin coming to his face.

Ephian glared up, now realizing who it was. _And her annoying Rider, Trellony._ Ephian added.

The brown dragoness slowly descended, while Ephian and the others watch, after which it finally landed behind the line of dwarves in front of them.

The dragon stared at Ephian, as did her Rider, then the dragon turned to Eridor. Jiarha growled behind him, and shuffled close to Eridor, who unfurled his wing and put it over her. Gedwëy looked slightly taken aback, but Ephian couldn't understand anything else.

"Argetlam, what are you doing here?" The leader of the guards asked her and Trellony got off and walked towards them.

"Greeting an old friend . . . now, the king has permitted the Rider to enter the city, but the dragons will have to wait outside . . ." Trellony said, nodding at Ephian, who frowned.

The dwarf stared at him, then turned to Eridor, who let out another puff of smoke, as did Jiarha. The dwarf shuddered slightly, then turned back to Trellony.

"Come on Ephian . . . best not to waste time, huh?" Trellony said, then climbed onto Gedwëy.

Ephian turned to Jiarha and Eridor who were staring at him.

 _I guess I'll see you after a while . . . I'll convince the king to let you in, don't worry._ Ephian told them, smiling.

Jiarha stared at him, as did Eridor. _Good luck, Rider-of-my-mate._ The blue dragon said.

Ephian nodded, then hurried over to Gedwëy. He climbed onto his back, behind Trellony, then grabbed the saddle with both his hands.

"Let's go . . . why are we waiting?" Ephian asked her.

"Hold on tight!" She replied, and Gedwëy jumped to the air.

"What are you doing? . . . And how did you come here, I thought you were at Ureimes!" Orúm exclaimed, staring at the woman who had killed the captain, while the other one stared at her in inexplicable wonder.

The woman didn't reply, but just stared at him, confused, then said, "What are you? I can't feel anything within you . . ."

Orúm raised an eyebrow, a little surprised by her reaction, "I . . . am a shade, and now answer my question . . . what are you doing here?"

"I have been sent to help you, Orúm . . . why does your name sound vaguely familiar?" The woman asked him, her violet eyes boring into his black ones.

In front of him stood the woman Rider whom he had teleported off to Crugan, at Mani's dream well. She had returned now, and he was a little surprised to see her.

"I don't know . . . Master might have told you about me, perhaps that is why . . . I don't know, I can't say." Orúm told her, and she nodded.

"I have been sent to help you defeat the dwarven kingdom . . . and kill the king . . ." She said, her voice cold and fearless.

Orúm smirked, "Welcome then, Elva . . . make yourself at home."

 _This will surprise that Rider for sure . . ._

"So Ephian . . . Where is Elva?" Trellony asked him as they sped higher. Gedwëy wasn't flying fast.

"Keep your nose out this, Trellony, its not your concern . . . and Gedwëy, fly faster will you? We don't have much time." Ephian told the dragoness, but didn't get a reply.

"Sorry, Ephian . . . you aren't going to meet the king until you give us a few answers . . . Orders from the king himself." Trellony said, and Ephian cursed under his breath. "We are going to go to the dragon hold first."

 _What's wrong?_ Jiarha asked him, as he looked back at her and Eridor, to see both of them watching him.

 _I am not going to the king . . . these two idiots are trying to get information from me . . ._ Ephian told her.

 _Those foolish scumbags! Wait, I am coming._ Jiarha replied, quite annoyed.

 _No, don't! Wait, let me see if I can convince them to let me go to the king._ Ephian replied.

"Tell your dragon, and her friend to not try anything funny, the dwarves will shoot them out of the air." Trellony told him.

"Listen here . . . I really must meet the king, the fate of his kingdom rests on it! There is a threat from-" Ephian began, but he was interrupted by Trellony's annoying laugh.

"You really expect us to believe that Ephian?" Trellony asked him, and Ephian grit his teeth, frustrated.

"I am telling you the truth!" Ephian told her, but she just shook her head.

Gedwëy flew over the city, then slowly descended and landed on the Isidar Mithrim, her claws rapping loudly against it.

"Get off!" Trellony said, and Ephian jumped down from the dragon, as did Trellony. "Don't do anything Ephian, you know you won't be able to escape me and Gedwëy . . ."

Ephian scowled heavily and turned to her, "Listen, if this is about what happened between us earlier, then-"

"Obviously it is about that . . . do you know what it meant to me? What you said that day . . ." Trellony said, and Ephian took a step back, suddenly regretting that he had even mentioned that right now.

"I ordered you to return to your posts. What was so wrong in that?" Ephian asked her, and she shook her head.

"Never you mind! For now, the only thing I have on my mind it to tell you that you are not at all welcome here, especially after that little show at Galfni, do you understand? . . . I have brought you up here, against the King's orders, because I wanted to take you to him . . . but first, you have to tell me what happened of your mission, and where your . . . partner is." Trellony said quickly.

"Fine then, listen . . . Our mission was a total disaster. Next, Elva has been captured by a Shade, and she was transported by wild magic at Mani's dream well, to some foreign land. So far, is it clear?" Ephian asked her, only to see her eyeing him as if he had grown a second nose.

"You expect me to believe that?" Trellony asked him again.

"You bloody . . ." Ephian began to yell then shut himself up before he said anything wrong. "Eka thorta du ilumëo!" He said finally.

Trellony jumped, as did Gedwëy. "See? I wasn't lying, I was speaking the truth all this while." Ephian said in the Ancient Language. "Now do you understand?"

The woman before him was quiet for a while, and Ephian knew that she was talking to her dragon. He waited patiently for them to say something, but when nothing seemed to be forthcoming, he finally decided to speak.

"Listen . . . I really need to meet King Orik, Tronjheim is in grave danger, and every moment that we waste is precious." Ephian told her, and Trellony stared at him for a while, then nodded.

"I agree . . . Let us go to the King." Trellony said.

Ephian followed Trellony, climbing onto Gedwëy. The dragon had not said anything to him all this while, and he was a little glad about it.

 _I'll be meeting the king in a little while._ Ephian said. Where are you?

 _We are still where you left us, and those dwarves are here as well . . . but that's not a problem, we have each other, me and Eridor . . . But hurry up._ Jiarha told him.

 _Sure . . ._ Ephian replied.

"Hold on, I don't think you are exactly used to taking the back seat." Trellony told him, and he nodded, grabbing the saddle with both his hands.

"Don't be an idiot, Ephian." Trellony said suddenly, making him jump, then slide one arm across her waist reluctantly.

As soon as he did, the brown dragon jumped into the air and dived, heading for the lower levels of the city.

Orúm stood in front of a small table, a map of the city of Tronjheim present on it. All around stood men, captains of several units, and one woman stood next to him, Elva.

"So listen here . . . This city has been attacked once before by a Shade, and he failed . . . we are not going to fail this time, you hear?" Orúm said, looking at them all.

They all nodded, and he looked down at the map, holding a quill in his hand. He dipped the quill in ink, then traced a line towards the gate of the city from the top of the map.

"Most of you will charge against the city directly from here, and attack the gates with all your strength." Orúm said, making a cross on the gate. "Destroy the gate, and rush in . . . attack on sight and eliminate any resistance you encounter. Twelve of you and your units will be doing this." Orúm finishes, pointing at the twelve of them standing to the right, front, and left. He had just given orders to three-fourth of the army to attack the city head on, which left him with only four more units, which meant roughly four hundred soldiers.

"Now . . . we have a diversion to draw most of their forces, next . . . I need an infiltration . . . all the remaining captains will use climbing ladders and hooks and enter from here." Orúm placed his finger on the wall on the opposite side of the city. "You will enter and head for the castle, and try to be silent . . . Elva, you will be going with this men, and you must infiltrate the castle along with them, but once inside, you are on your own . . . you must find this king Orik, and kill him . . . and if that Rider, Ephian-"

"Ephian?!" Elva said suddenly, her voice high pitched and that of surprise. Then she shook her head, saying, "I don't know why, but that name sounds very familiar . . . and powerful . . ." Elva said, a little confused, suddenly losing her stance of power and invulnerability.

"There's . . . there's nothing like that, Elva . . . you are just tired, nothing else." Orúm said hurriedly.

 _Darn it! She still remembers the name of that Rider, master warned me that powerful emotions might overcome his magic._ Orúm thought, recalling the conversation that he had had with Crugan just some moments ago, just before had called together this meeting.

"Anyway, if there are any dragons or riders present there, they must be shot down, and that is vital. We don't want them attacking us, have you heard?" Orúm said, and the captains agreed, nodding.

"Now go, and ready your men . . . we will attack the city day after tomorrow . . ." Orúm said, staring up at the dark roof of the cave.

Ephian followed Trellony, who strode ahead of him swiftly, her trailing behind her. He looked straight, spotting the traditional nine guards of the king ahead of the two doors.

"Let us through, this is important!" Trellony told them, showing them her palm. A dwarf nodded hurriedly, and opened the gates.

 _I thought they struck the ground with shafts . . . I suppose its only for show . . . must give Orik a headache as well._ Ephian thought.

 _Stop dwindling and concentrate on the matter at hand!_ Jiarha said irritably.

 _Of course . . ._ Ephian replied calmly.

They entered the hall, and saw Orik standing just in front of his throne, wearing ruby red robes. Ephian could see Volund glinting on his belt, and his eyes boring into Ephian's. The enthusiasm that the king had shown during Ephian's previous visit seemed to have vanished, replaced by a cloud of suspicion.

 _This doesn't look like it is going to be easy, Jiarha . . ._ Ephian told his dragon, a doubt forming in his heart.

 _And you never expected it to be easy, but I know that you can do it . . . and you will . . ._ Jiarha replied warmly, encouraging Ephian and driving away his doubt and fear.

 _Don't doubt yourself, Ephian._ Eridor said suddenly, making Ephian jump slightly.

 _T-Thank you, Eridor._ Ephian replied, a little surprised by Eridor's words.

They walked across the hall, and stopped in front of him. Trellony bowed to one knee, saying, "Greetings, Konungr Orik . . ."

Ephian followed suit, greeting the king. Orik seemed to be staring at him quite hard.

"Rise, Riders . . . Jormundursson, would you care to explain why you caused such . . . nuisance at Galfni?" Orik asked him in a low voice, and Ephian could make out that the dwarven king was restraining himself. "Rider, you killed one of our council members! You killed a Grimstborith! Do you know what you have done?" The kings voice had risen now, becoming a fearsome growl.

"King Orik . . . with all due respect, Larouf had betrayed you . . . he had helped a Shade and his army enter Alagaesia . . . Sire, they are going to attack you, attack Tronjheim . . ." Ephian said, and he could see disbelief and anger flaring on the king's face. "Konungr . . . I can prove this to you, I will let your magicians examine my memories if you wish . . ." Ephian added hurriedly.

Orik stared at him, then turned away, "Rider, your deeds . . . they have caused quite an uproar among us . . . I suppose, if you think you can justify your actions, then I cannot deny you the chance . . . I will arrange for my magicians to inspect your mind as soon as possible, but until then, you must surrender your weapons, your companions, must . . . wait, where is the other Rider who was with you?" Orik asked finally, noticing that Elva was missing. "Oh yes, Elva, wasn't she with you?"

Ephian's eyes sank, as did his head, "Sire, she . . . she has been captured by the shade . . . I . . . couldn't stop them . . ." Ephian said in a low voice, recalling the incident. He remembered how helpless she had been, and how he had been completely unable to help her.

"There's another very important thing konungr," Trellony said suddenly. "Ephian is quite sure that Tronjheim has a threat from outside, and that the entire city is in danger."

Orik stared at her, then turned to him with an eyebrow raised.

"She speaks the truth, the Shade, Orúm, and his army, are heading our way right now . . . we must be prepared . . ." Ephian told him, and he knew that the king still did not believe him.

"Your claim is quite huge to ignore . . . but I cannot take your word for this . . . I will have my magicians examine you soon, but in the meanwhile, you will have to go to the dragonhold and stay there . . ." Orik said, then turned to Trellony. "Don't let him reach his dragon . . ."

Ephian stared at him, suddenly angry and exasperated, "You knew my father, and me . . . you know me since my childhood, and yet-"

"That was decades ago, Ephian . . . and now, our loyalties are different . . ." Orik replied, then gestured towards the doors of the hall, a clear dismissal. His words didn't seem to have had the least effect on the king, and if they had had any effect, the king had not shown it.

Elva stood away from the rest of the army, strolling around in the caves. Her mind was spinning, and she hoped that a little loneliness would help her calm down.

 _What is happening to me? . . ._ Elva thought, confused. It seemed as if her mind was trying to break out of her head, and come in front of her and say something, but it just didn't know how to say it.

Cursing, she kicked a loose rock away, then reached up and untied her hair, which had earlier been in a ponytail. She shook her head around, freeing her hair, then massaged her scalp with nimble fingers, closing her eyes and savoring the feeling of relaxation. But her head still kept troubling her, and she still wasn't able to understand why.

 _This is so annoying! . . . I should probably ignore it . . ._ Elva thought, and tried, but it turned out to be truly impossible to do what she had been planning, because slowly, she realized something.

She had felt this way before, just some days back when she had woken up on the ground in a huge circular chamber, all alone. Her head had been aching, a lot worse than it was aching now, and she had been panting and scratching her head with frustration, finally beginning to scream. The sensation had been extremely similar, although it wasn't as strong.

 _When did I start feeling this? . . . Just some minutes back, during Orúm's . . . it started when I saw Orúm, but it wasn't so irritating then . . .and it increased throughout his debriefing of that dwarven capital . . ._ Elva recalled, her eyes narrowing as she stopped walking and turned around staring at the camp. She could see half a dozen men staring at her secretly from different parts of the camp, but not with her facial eyes. She could see them with her mind's eye, which was closed to everyone, but everything was open to it. She could feel everything and everyone in the encampment was feeling, and although she was controlling herself from immersing too much into anyone's thoughts and keeping a general balance, she had noted that she couldn't sense Orúm properly. He was just like a voice in a brilliantly lit room.

 _Much like master . . . perhaps they are similar in some way or the other, which is why I can't feel what they feel . . . Oh! Why does my head ache so much?_ She thought as her head throbbed even more.

 _It . . . oh yes, the capital, Tronjheim . . ._ Elva recalled. Her head had started paining, quite noticeably, when she had heard the name of the capital, but she had ignored it and kept listening intently. And now, he head felt like it was being hammered over, and she had felt that after the debriefing, when she had heard an extremely familiar name.

 _That Rider . . . Ephian . . ._ Elva thought, and her mind fluttered suddenly, beginning to throb on both sides. She gave a small moan of frustration and pain, pressing her fingernails into her scalp.

 _Why does that . . . name, seem to give me so much trouble? . . . Does it have a connection with my past?_ Elva thought. But she shook her head as she remembered the first thing in her memory.

 _"How do you feel . . . Elva?" She heard a man speak in a soft yet raspy voice._

 _"What is this?" She said, unable to see anything, the words just coming out of her mouth._

 _"Open your eyes, and you will see . . ." The voice said, and she opened them, only to see smooth, shining surface of pure white marble, reflecting the light coming from a window to the right, the curtains covering it were white and translucent._

 _She was lying on a soft bed, and her head was lying on an extremely comfortable cushion. Her long hair was an utter mess, spread all around._

 _"Where am I?" She asked, her voice croaky and anxious._

 _"You are . . . in your quarters, Elva, and I have been waiting for you to wake up for several days now." The man said from somewhere to the left._

 _She hurriedly rose to a sitting position, to see a mirror in front of her, reflecting her pale face, her eyes wide. She was wearing a white gown, its sleeves tufts of cloth. Next to her, she saw the man who had been speaking, and she jumped in fright, nearly yelling. Turning around hurriedly, she moved away from him, frightened._

 _"Who are you? . . . And . . . who am I?" she asked him, pulling the blankets over her shoulders, covering her bare hands._

 _"I am the one who saved you, and you are Elva, my most elite warrior with two special and powerful signs, on your right hand and your forehead." He said, gesturing towards them as he did._

 _She looked at the palm of her right hand, and saw a glimmering sign on her hand, a sort of vortex. Then, she looked around and stared at the reflection of her forehead in the mirror, and spotted a star shaped patch of the silvery skin much like the sign on her palm._

 _"Your name is Elva, Elva Shadowhunter, and you are the best human warrior I have . . ." The man continued, placing a hand on her shoulder. His hand was cold, and she turned and stared at it, but somehow, she felt a little comforted._

 _"But . . . I don't remember anything . . . I can't recall anything that you just said." She told him, perplexed._

 _The man stared at her, suddenly rather quite, then he pulled away his hand from her shoulder and placed it on the hilt of his sword, smiling, "That's because you were . . .wounded during the battle for this city . . . you were struck in the head extremely hard by . . . a dragon's tail, and you are lucky to be alive. It was a good thing that it was the softer part of the tail that hit, and not the spiked, although it was brave of you to try and take on the beast on your own . . . it has taken me all my skill and strength to bring you back."_

 _She stared at him, disbelief prevalent in her mind, but she got over it and gave him a small smile._

Elva sighed as she recalled the earliest memory that she had, nearly a week ago, when she had woken up.

 _Could this Ephian actually be someone . . . important? Someone whom I have confronted earlier?_ Elva thought to herself, her arms folded.

"My lord, there is no doubt about it anymore . . ." A dwarf said, while Ephian stared at him crossly. "The Rider was speaking the truth, Grimstborith Larouf had betrayed us . . ."

The dwarf had thoroughly examined Ephian's memories of the past few weeks, and he had hardly been gentle, but Ephian knew that the king would not leave anything. Orik's face, which had already had a frown behind his beard, now had a deep scowl, but it was soon replaced by distress.

"Leave us . . ." The king said, gesturing at the dwarven magician. The stout dwarf bowed and left the hall without a backward glance.

"You too . . ." Orik added, nodding at Trellony.

"Of course, sire . . . I will see you at the Isidar Mithrim then, Ephian . . ." Trellony said, giving Ephian a small smile.

Ephian didn't reply, but gave her a small wave in response, and watched her walk away.

 _She has changed . . . looks like my words remade her ego completely._ Ephian thought, smiling.

 _Broke it, rather . . ._ Jiarha muttered, her voice sulky. She had clearly not approved of Ephian surrendering his mind to that dwarf mage.

 _I guess so . . ._ Ephian replied, turning to look at the dwarven king, who sat on his black throne, edging around uncomfortably.

Orik gave a small sigh and intertwined his hands below his beard, and looked up at the ceiling, then down again, staring at Ephian.

"So . . . it is true . . . We really are going to be attacked by those invaders . . ." The king said, his voice faint and seemingly lost in thought. "I remember the old days, when Eragon had first entered Tronjheim, and just a few days after that, we were attacked by that blasted shade and his army of Urgals . . . That was when he slew the shade, and got his title . . . and Arya broke the Isidar Mithrim."

Ephian nodded slowly, staring at his clasped hands. "My father had told me about it . . . I remember, I had begged him to let me fight in the battle as well, but he had asked me to take care of my mother . . ."

Orik scratched his beard, thoughtfully, "I apologise Ephian, for not trusting you earlier . . ." Ephian looked up in surprise. "We have know each other for so long . . . I shouldn't have shown the mistrust that I did . . . but as a king, I cannot willingly let anything become a threat to my people."

"No need to apologise, sire . . . its quite understandable . . . I would have done the same, had I been where you are." Ephian replied, grinning.

"Oh, I am sure you would . . ." Orik replied, laughing, but the humor was short-lived, as the kind became serious almost immediately. "But now . . . we have a dilemma. How can we survive this battle? . . . I have enough troops here to hold off the attackers for a day perhaps, maybe a night, depending on their numbers . . . but I, seeing the size of the army that Juargah described . . . I don't think we can defeat them without more help."

Ephian got up and stood in front of the king, "Sire, you have three dragons, and two Riders with you, and they have none of those . . . Strength might be in numbers, but size matters as well."

Orik nodded, laughing again, "I like your confidence . . . but we cannot risk losing this . . . we are talking about this casually, probably because I have forgotten how I used to talk during those dangerous times a century ago . . . But I haven't forgotten how to defend my kingdom."

The king got to his feet, and walked down the steps, coming in front of Ephian. "So . . . this is what I think we must do . . . contact your master, Murtagh. I guess, he is the acting Lead Rider . . . tell him everything."

"Acting lead Rider?" Ephian asked him, confused, but Orik waved his hand.

"Contact Murtagh, he'll explain everything, I have to go and begin the preparations." Orik said, beginning to get out of his thrown and walking down the steps.

Ephian bowed his head in response, while Orik continued, "In the meantime, I will contact some of the other dwarf cities and clans, tell the closest ones to come to our aid as fast as possible."

Ephian smiled, "Sounds like a plan."


	63. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62: Troubles of the new Lead Rider**

"Ebrithil!" Someone shouted from outside, making Murtagh look up from the reports he had got about the rumors of slavers in the Haradac Desert, and that of explosions taking place in the Mani's caves. He was in the study room of his house in Vroengard, wondering how he would resolve these petty problems.

 _What is it now?_ Murtagh thought, annoyed. He was frustrated by these reports as it was.

"Come in." He said, staring at the door, which opened immediately.

A tall and thin woman stepped in, with her hair tied in a bun, wearing a flowing green dress. She had dark complexion and was smiling at him in an amused way.

"Nasuada! What is wrong with you?" Murtagh asked, truly irritated. Nasuada just chuckled as she walked in.

"Oh nothing, just wanted to see how my dear husband was holding up . . . my dear lead rider of a husband!" Nasuada said, while Murtagh dipped his head towards the parchment on his desk.

"Oh, I am just fine, a little worked up maybe . . . do me a favor darling, and see if the Varden can do something about these . . . 'problems'." Murtagh replied, passing the three pieces of parchment to her.

Nasuada smiled as she took the reports, standing next to him, while he got up and pulled her gently onto the chair in his place.

Straightening up, he stretched, then walked to the window of his room where, on a small wooden table, a couple of cups were kept, filled with nothing but water. A bowl of sugar was placed next to it, along with tea leaves.

"What in the world is this?!" Nasuada exclaimed, turning to him from the chair. "Doesn't the Broddring kingdom have enough men to go ahead and take care of those slavers? And explosions in the Mani's caves! Orik would be dancing on his toes for some action . . . this is rubbish, Murtagh!"

Murtagh smiled, his wife really knew how to ease his mood. "I know, dear, and it beats me why they have sent these things to the council of seniors."

Nasuada raised an eyebrow, "Not to the council of seniors, Murtagh, they were sent to you."

When Murtagh gave her a look of confusion, she shook her head saying, "You are the Lead Rider, you idiot! This should have been sent to the council of seniors so that we could send a Ranger or someone else to investigate . . . Looks like some people don't know that you have been . . . promoted, shall I say?"

Murtagh scowled, "Only temporarily, as soon as Eragon returns, he can have his blasted title back, I am already tired of it!"

"But you aren't even doing any work, lazybones." Nasuada said, her voice mischievous. "We are the ones who are doing everything for you, all you have to do is read!"

Murtagh put sugar and tea leaves into the cups of water, saying, "That's what I am tired of! I am tired of just sitting back and reading, and I am sure Eragon was tired of it as well, that is why he went off to Alalea, and I am stuck here doing nothing but making tea for my wife . . . and myself." Murtagh grumbled the ending.

"Well . . . There is nothing we can do about that now, Eragon was always like that. Once he decided something, his determination and iron will would last until he had accomplished it. You and Roran don't have the same . . . talents. Roran was more of a, what do you say , 'Dare me to do it, and I will!' . . ." Nasuada said, as Murtagh muttered a spell to heat the water.

"What about me?" He asked her as water began to boil.

"You are . . . well, 'don't you dare tell me to do it, its my wish.' Type . . . and I like that about you, you are mostly independent." Nasuada replied, as Murtagh handed her a cup of tea.

"Mostly?"

"Yes . . . you depend on me and Thorn quite a lot sometimes." Nasuada said, and Murtagh smiled as he leaned on the wall, staring at his wife.

"No arguments there." He replied, making Nasuada laugh.

But suddenly, there was a sound of someone running up the stairs, and Murtagh stood straight and placed his tea on the table.

"Ebrithil!" Another voice said, this time a male and it sounded to be in quite a hurry.

"Yes, come in." Murtagh said, wondering what was wrong.

The door opened loudly, and an elf stepped in, his voice quite loud, "Ebrithil, you must come . . . Jormundursson, Orothrimsson and Eragonsson wish an audience from you." The elf was quite young, just twenty-two years old, and he was training to become a dragon Rider.

Murtagh turned to Nasuada, his eyebrows raised, and she had the same look of confusion, "Who all did you say?"

"Jormundursson, Orothrimsson and Eragonsson, sir." The elf said, staring at Murtagh.

It took him a moment, but Murtagh understood what he was saying, "You mean Ephian, and Deaother and. . . what's his name? . . .Yes, Prince Angrenost, request an audience?"

"Yes, the very same . . . they are in the anteroom of the hall of mirrors, sir . . ." The elf said, and Murtagh began to walk towards the door, and Nasuada got up to follow him as well.

"One last thing, Ebrithil . . ." The elf said as Murtagh passed him. "All three of them seemed to be stressed about something."

Murtagh nodded, "Thank you Heyron." And strode down the stairs, followed by Nasuada and the elf.

He walked out of his house and hurried towards the main building of the city of Vroengard. This building was more of a mansion than anything else, but it wasn't a mansion to live in, but to seek refuge in. In the event of an attack on the city, all the occupants would be able to stay in the hall until the battle was over. The Mansion itself, was a place to fall back to if the enemy got through the outer walls.

Within this mansion was a hall, called the Hall of Mirrors. It wasn't a room full of mirrors, as the name suggested, but it was a ball room, where parties were held to celebrated the anniversary of Galbatorix's downfall, or to celebrate the birth of a child, which was very uncommon, or for the Agaetí Blödhren, held along with the elves in Du Weldenvarden. Agaetí Blödhren was celebrated all over Alagaesia, now that elves weren't just restricted to Du Weldenvarden.

Murtagh and Nasuada walked down the nearly empty streets, it was quite early in the morning, smiling at anyone whom they passed.

Finally, they reached the mansion, and entered it through a side door, it wasn't necessary to open the huge gates just for the two of them. But it would have been necessary if Thorn and Draumr had been around, but they were off teaching some of the younger dragons something different, while the mentors took a little break.

Hurrying down the corridors, then turned left and entered the hall of mirrors. They stopped there, looking around. The hall was huge and wide, its curved ceiling bearing half a dozen large golden chandeliers, all holding extinguished candles. The hall was dark, but light emanated from the side, which led to another, much smaller, room.

Murtagh scratched the back of his head, he could hear voices coming from the room.

"Looks like our little heroes are arguing . . ." Nasuada muttered, making Murtagh grin. They jogged towards the anteroom, and stopped outside the door, listening to what the three men inside were saying.

" . . .You are stuck under the ground, and so am I! But unlike you, I have those marauders waiting right outside!" A very familiar voice said.

"That's Deaother?" Murtagh whispered, and Nasuada nodded in reply.

"Both of you are safe and sound, but I had to defend an entire city, Tierm that too, from an invasion less than a day ago. What do you say about that?" Another voice said.

"Who's that?" Nasuada asked this time.

"I think its Angrenost." Murtagh muttered back.

"I had to fight a freaking Shade . . . Twice and I even defeated him once, but now an army of tens of thousands is marching towards Tronjheim . . . on top of that I was labeled an outlaw! What about that?" A third voice said.

"That's Ephian! And what are they saying?" Murtagh said, and Nasuada just shrugged. Curious, he opened the door and entered, staring at the three men.

They were all there, present in mirrors, and they were all staring at Murtagh. Deaother was pointing towards the Ephian.

The anteroom was actually a room for communication, which had dozens of large mirrors facing each other on all the three walls. This was meant as a way to request for aid if the city was breached and the defenders were held up inside the mansion.

All three of them were present in different mirrors on all three walls, and they had all been arguing about something.

"What's going on here?" Murtagh asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Greetings, Ebrithil!" Ephian said instantly, bowing his head and twisting his fingers over his sternum.

"Hello uncle!" Deaother said, and jumped as someone hit him from the back.

"Where's Eragon?" Angrenost said, scratching his head.

"Nice to see you all as well . . . now what's all this racket about? . . . And yes, Ephian and Angrenost . . . there's something I have to say regarding Eragon." Murtagh said, and noticed Deaother being pushed aside by someone, but he muttered something and pushed the person back. "He has . . . departed for another land, he left just a few-"

"He what?!" Ephian exclaimed, then muttered a filthy oath. "This is the worst timing, master, we are under attack!"

"What do you mean, boy?" Nasuada asked him sharply.

"He speaks the truth, aunt Nasuada." Deaother said, gesturing at Ephian. "Nadindel was attacked some time ago, and only Worian survived . . . all the other elves who lived there are . . . dead, so there was no news of the attack for almost an entire week, until Worian arrived here. And now, the invaders have taken Ellesmera as well . . . It was all a surprise, we didn't know what was happening before it happened."

Murtagh stared at him, and suddenly but slowly, a feeling of dread began to enter him. It wasn't fear of war, but fear of the unknown. Deaother didn't even seem to even know who those invaders were.

"Sir, the same is happening in the Broddring Kingdom." The Prince said. "These . . . men, they are led by some freak of nature, who calls himself . . . 'Freohr'. I have faced him twice, and both the times, he was too strong for me to defeat . . . I was captured by him, but I escaped and-"

"Wait . . . wait." Murtagh said, holding up his hand. "First, let me get one thing straight . . . Ephian, where in Alagaesia are you?"

"I am in Tronjheim, master . . . and a huge army, led by a Shade named Orúm, is coming to attack the city." Ephian said, frantic.

"A shade, you say? . . . Are you sure?" Murtagh asked him.

"Yes master, I . . . pierced his head by mistake, I had defeated him, and I was going to stab his heart, but he . . . ducked, I guess, so my sword went through his head . . . and he erupted . . . then I saw him again, at the head of his army, and-"

"Ephian . . . you aren't bluffing, are you?" Murtagh asked him, but he knew that his previous student wasn't bluffing.

"I am not." Ephian replied, in the Ancient Language.

Murtagh sighed. What is going on? How come we don't know about this?

"And you, Deaother? . . . Where are you?" Nasuada asked.

"I am at Ellesmera . . ." Deaother began saying, then looked to the side, and Murtagh someone whispering something to him. "Err, no, sorry. I am outside Ellesmera, but very close to it."

"And what about King Dathedr?" Nasuada asked him, her voice fearful.

Deaother stared at her for a while, then turned to look at someone again, then turned back. "I . . . don't know, but Ellesmera has been taken, there was no way the elves could have resisted . . . The king might have been captured, or . . ."

Nasuada gasped, her hand rising to her lips, and stepped back, shocked. Murtagh was stunned at the news as well, but he knew that there was no time to become sentimental, of to think properly. Grief would take its toll soon, but Murtagh had to act.

"Angrenost, at which city are you?" Murtagh asked, his voice firm.

"I am at Tierm, and it was attacked by Freohr's forces . . . I escaped from him just a few days ago, and came here aboard one of his attack ships, but I managed to warn the dragon and Rider of the incoming attack, and so they managed to save the city, and thankfully one more dragon and Rider were present at the time . . ." Angrenost said.

Murtagh stared at all three of them, scratching the beard that was growing on his face. "You mean to say . . . The elves have been attacked, the dwarves have been attacked, and the humans have been attacked . . . the three significant races . . . only two races remain . . . the dragons and the Urgals." Murtagh said, then sighed loudly. "Who are these people? What do they want?"

"Master . . . I think I can answer that . . ." Ephian said suddenly, and Murtagh turned to him, his eyes wide. Nasuada stood up as well.

"What say you?" Murtagh asked.

"When I faced Orúm for the first time, he said that he was among the . . . the 'Feared Three', and that they didn't want to capture Alagaesia, they wanted to destroy it . . . and everyone living in it." Ephian said, looking at Deaother and Angrenost.

"The feared three . . ." Deaother muttered, turning to Angrenost.

"And the attacks have taken place in three places . . . all three of them have attacked!" Angrenost concluded.

Murtagh stared at all three of them, and memories of his brother's words came to him.

Crugan has to be stopped . . . He might be coming already . . . I must stop him before he reaches Alagaesia . . . Murtagh remembered Eragon say this many times.

 _Eragon is heading to stop Crugan . . . but what if he has already sent his minions ahead to defeat us all, and he is going to take care of Eragon the First there? . . . Oh no . . . Eragon might be walking into an open trap_! Murtagh thought, and cursed.

"What is it, Murtagh?" Deaother asked, curious.

"Your father . . . he might have been wrong all this time . . . Oh blasted shades, always too cunning! All three of you, be careful out there, do you hear? I will be sending Riders to all three cities-"

"No, it won't do any good." Deaother interrupted. "Ellesmera cannot be retaken by dragon Riders now . . . we will need an army. And . . . Yes, send them to Osilon. All the elvish forces are gathering there right now, I think . . . that's what King Dathedr had ordered all the Lords and Ladies of the council to do."

"Master, the attack might take place in the next few days, maybe even today . . . King Orik has ordered all the cities to send their forces towards Farthen Dur to fight off this army, but we need to hold on till they come . . ." Ephian said.

Murtagh cursed again, then turned to Angrenost. "And what about the humans?"

". . . Freohr is heading towards Carvahall right now, and he is going to attack the city, but I don't know how or when . . . I am going to take all the forces that remain at Tierm and head for the capital to help my father in any way I can." Angrenost said, his voice determined.

Murtagh raised his eyebrows at the young Prince, surprised at the way he was handling the situation. "So . . ." Murtagh began, his voice now a little faint. "I am going to send five Dragons and Riders towards Osilon, Tronjheim and Carvahall right now . . . and you three, be careful. Ephian, Tronjheim better not fall, you hear?" Murtagh said, pointing a finger at his best student.

"Loud and clear." Ephian replied, smiling.

"Deaother . . . is Vaelia with you?" Nasuada asked suddenly, and Deaother raised an eyebrow, then looked around, and finally nodded. "Well, keep her safe, she might be the only one who will be able to unite the elves . . . and be safe as well, get to Osilon soon . . .but what about Phiole and Everaun?"

Deaother stared at her, and slowly a look of deep regret and pain came on his face, "I don't know . . . I . . . Solembum appeared here, and he took us to this underground tunnel, which took us to this cave . . . I don't know what is going on up there, but I sure can't hear Phiole . . . Nasuada, there were Lethrblaka here!" Deaother said.

Nasuada's eyes widened, "What? . . . and the Ra'zac as well?"

"Yes . . ." Deaother said, nodding.

"Not the time, Nasuada, we have to stay focused." Murtagh said, then turned to Angrenost. "Listen to me now, Prince . . . I know, you are the youngest one here . . . but right now, the fate of the Broddring Kingdom might depend on how fast you can get the forces of Tierm to Carvahall. I will be ordering all the Riders from the nearby cities to head for Carvahall, but if possible, unite all the cities . . . and lead the forces to battle."

Angrenost nodded, although his face suggested that he regarded it as a daunting prospect. "I will do my best, Sir."

"Good . . . Thank you so much, all three of you, for telling us this. We had absolutely no idea about it." Nasuada said, nodding at all three of them. "Contact us tomorrow, Angrenost and Ephian, and we will explain the entire situation to both of you, but right now we have to act . . ."

"I will contact you tomorrow, master." Ephian said, and bowed again, then vanished from the mirror, which now reflected Murtagh and Nasuada.

"I better go, Sir . . . the Governor is getting on my nerves now . . . I wish you luck . . ." Angrenost said, nodding, and he disappeared as well.

Murtagh then turned to Deaother, who was staring at him as well.

"When are my parents coming back?" Deaother asked, and Murtagh and Nasuada looked at each other, then turned back to him.

"I can't say, Deaother, they haven't contacted me yet . . . they might contact us soon, but so far, they haven't." Murtagh replied sadly.

Deaother nodded, then took a deep breath and said, "I will contact you again as soon as I reach Osilon, Uncle . . . Until then."

Deaother also vanished from the mirror, which now showed Murtagh, who had gone extremely pale, and Nasuada, who seemed to be stunned.

"It really is happening . . ." Murtagh said, turning to his wife. "We are at war again . . . I think we better go and tell the other Riders about this and rally the ones near the cities which are going to be under attack . . ."

Nasuada nodded, but instead of walking out, she reached forward and grabbed Murtagh's hand, and pulled him closer to her until she had embraced him softly.

"Don't worry, Murtagh . . . we can overcome this, and we will . . . Now that we know what is going on, we can do what we truly are supposed to do . . .protect Alagaesia." Nasuada said, then looked up at Murtagh, who was staring at her solemnly.

"I love you." He said, and reached down, their lips meeting for a moment.

"I love you too . . ." Nasuada whispered back and kissed him again.

For now, the acting Lead Rider stood worried, while his brother raced towards his destination. Fate, it seemed, had once again played a cruel game with the hero's family, who had saved Alagaesia a century ago.


	64. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63: A hard decision**

There was the sound of strong waves crashing against each other, wind blowing powerfully, and ships sailing towards their destinations. The sun was high in the sky, it was noon, and the water reflected the sun's brightness, making it seem as if light was coming from above and below. It was late in the afternoon.

Eragon stood at the deck of the ship, his hands on the handhold, staring towards the east, the never ending skies and water becoming one in the distance. He kept staring, his sharp eyes still unable to discern anything other than birds and water.

A week and a half had passed since they had left Alagaesia, and half their voyage was over. Now, they couldn't see the land which they had left behind. The mountains of the spine had vanished from view almost five days ago, much to Eragon's displeasure. And now, no sign of Alagaesia remained behind them.

 _We are stranded in between an abyss, and there are only two ends . . ._ Eragon thought, and dipped his head, his eyes closed. His head was spinning with worry and tension now, making him wonder if he had made a bad decision after all, leaving his home vulnerable without him.

 _No, I'ts not vulnerable, only four Riders and four Dragons have left, along with just five hundred people of almost all the races._ Eragon told himself, and took a deep breath and turned around.

He was at the deck of the ship, and the captain's cabin stood just to the right, just a yard away, quite large. And to the left, the deck stretched dozens and dozens of metres. Made completely of wood, and intended as a place for the dragons to rest on. Eragon had specifically chosen this ship for the dragons, and a few selected men, elves and dwarves, to man the ship.

At the time, Jrake, the brown dragon of the Rider Sianelle, and Valinor were there, both of them resting on the deck of the ship. Eragon smiled at them, then looked up to see Saphira and the silver dragon Bindroen, whose Rider was Jeffron, flying a little ahead of the ship.

Other then Eragon, the remaining Riders were also aboard the ship, while the other ships were bustling with activity, the men were practicing archery and sword skills, while the elves were looking at the sea in wonder. There were only a handful of dwarves on their own ship, it seemed that they liked to be inside even on ships, or it was just their way of thinking. On the other hand, almost all the Urgals were gathered on the deck of their own ship, probably watching some kind of a wrestling match.

Eragon sighed, then looked around and as Arya came out from the captain's cabin, smiling. She had Brisingr and Yawe in her hands, and she was wearing her leather leggings and shirt. Eragon wondered why she was carrying those swords. Just then, The other two Riders also followed her, their own swords belted to their waists. Eragon raised an eyebrow.

His mate came over and gave him his sword, then fastened her own sword to her belt and muttered, "I barely managed to hold my own against that assassin . . . I think its about time I started practicing again, and regain my former strength and speed . . . And I think I could say the same of you, couldn't I?"

Eragon started at Brisingr, then drew it and stared at the reflection of the sun on the blue blade, then looked Arya and grinned, "Thanks to Deaother, I don't think I will need as much practice as you . . . you are forgetful after all."

That made Arya's smile vanish, and replaced it with an irritated scowl, "Is that so? I would just . . . love to prove you wrong."

"Bring it on!" Eragon joked, and jumped back, hurriedly dulling his sword with a spell that Brom had taught him so long ago. Arya also did the same, while the younger Riders watched, staring at them. Eragon nodded at them, and they followed suit, dulling their own swords.

I was thinking of giving her some practice, anyway . . . Let's get on with this, the other worries of the world can wait for now. Eragon thought, staring at his mate.

"I think all of us could use the practice, don't you?" Eragon asked her, but it seemed that she was done talking. Instead of replying with words, she charged and slashed at him, catching Eragon unprepared.

Yawe whistled across and struck Brisingr's cross guard, yanking the sword out from Eragon's grasp and sending it flying across the deck, to the side. Eragon frowned; he hadn't expected that in the least.

"You are forgetting that I was the one who usually tested apprentices . . . in their weapon skills." Arya replied, beaming. The other Riders seemed to be confused and surprised that Eragon had been disarmed so easily. Eragon nodded at her, sighing.

"Fine then, if that's how you want to play it!" Eragon said, muttering a word and making his sword come back to him. He then swung it around, getting the feel of it, and crouched and stared at Arya. "Come on!"

Arya took her own stance, sword held in front of her, tip pointing at Eragon. Eragon waited for her to make a move, but when it wasn't coming, he himself charged at her, jabbing Brisingr at her torso. Arya parried the blow, and moved to the side in a graceful motion, dodging Eragon's next blow. Eragon didn't stop, he also moved away, and Arya only managed to slash at the air.

"Good!" Eragon praised, and Arya got an annoyed look on her face. Eragon then charged again, but instead of attacking head on, he ducked and swung around completely, slashing at her legs. She jumped over the blue blade, and Eragon came back up and blocked a blow that came from Arya, locking both the blades in place. He was unable to gain the high ground, which Arya now had. Arya pushed her sword forward, but Eragon resisted, holding the blade of his sword in place with his left hand. Arya pushed harder, and Eragon began to slide back, even though he had planted his feet firmly on the ground.

 _I am losing!_ Eragon thought, then he himself pushed forward, his arms surging forward with energy. After a moment, Arya stumbled back, their swords separating, and Eragon gained the leverage. Moving forward he attacked her, and she ducked under the blow, and jumped forward, hitting his knees with her hand.

Eragon yelled as he tripped suddenly, and fell to the side, then hurriedly jumped back up, as did Arya. The both of them moved back, placing some distance between them. Arya seemed as if she was tired, her free hair were a complete mess now, and Eragon was himself was rubbing his knees, where Arya had hit him.

"Not so bad yourself . . . I thought you were going to fall for my little sword trick." Arya told him, and Eragon nodded at her, muttering, "I almost did, but I noticed it just in time."

Arya smiled slightly, then pushed her hair back, letting them blow freely in the wind. Eragon sheathed Brisingr, saying, "Enough for now . . . Come on, Jeffron and Sianelle, it's your turn now." Eragon said, smiling.

Jeffron nodded at him, smiling, and drew his silver sword, Evarinya. The sword wasn't at all like Brisingr or Yawe. It was curved gently, and its end was sharp. The edge itself resembled water flowing on a smooth plane. Arya had made the sword, and Eragon observed it elegance, impressed.

Sianelle almost gave him a small smirk and drew her own sword, a falchion, which was brownish in colour, just like her dragon. She had named it Gulia, and Eragon had no idea why that was so.

But before they could begin the sparring, Arya suddenly said, "What would be the point of having them spar each other? . . . I think we should have a practice match, the two of us against you two."

Eragon blinked at her, Good idea. Then he turned to the two elves, "Listen, you don't need to be so quiet all the time, you aren't just here to help us, but you are our companions, our friends as well . . . so? So speak up!' Eragon said, and they both looked at him, then at each other.

"Yes ebrithil . . ." Jeffron said, and Arya nodded, pleased.

"The same goes for Bindroen and Jrake . . . now come on; show us how good you have been taught in the ways of the blade." Eragon, drawing Brisingr, while Arya drew Yawe.

 _Saphira, I think you should start doing something to get Valinor and Jrake back up as well._ Eragon told her, looking up at her while the two Riders in front of him dulled their blades.

 _Let's see what I can do . . ._ Saphira said, and he noticed a little mischievousness in her. He knew it would be interesting to find out what she was going to do, but he let the suspense stay.

"Ready, both of you?" Arya asked, and Jeffron and Sianelle got into their stances. Jeffron bent one knee and leaned backward on the other leg, holding his curved sword in front of his at shoulder height, edge facing Eragon.

Sianelle placed her feet wide apart, and held her sword to the side tightly, arms ready. Eragon could already make out that Jeffron relied more on strength, while Sianelle preferred speed.

"Let's go!" Eragon said, and charged, Arya by his side. Jeffron nodded and charged as well, while Sianelle didn't move, her eyes focused at the charging figures in front of them.

Eragon ran faster, then swerved past Jeffron, who tried to swing at him. The sword missed him by an inch as he moved from the side. Just behind him, Arya attacked Jeffron with a jab, which the elf dodged. Eragon slashed at Sianelle's shoulder, his sword a blur, but she simply moved back, dodging the blade. She retaliated almost immediately, holding the falchion with both her hands and swinging it around powerfully.

Eragon gasped when he tried to block the blow, this elf was quite strong, and the blow had nearly knocked Brisingr out of his hand. But he moved his arm away and attacked her again, but she again dodged his blade by ducking under him, and retaliating with an up-thrust, pushing the hilt of her sword into Eragon's stomach.

Eragon jumped back, although the attack had not hurt him, it had knocked the wind out of him. He smiled at her, nodding, and she smiled back uncertainly. But Eragon charged again, but this time he didn't attack. Instead, he jumped a foot to the left, then to the right, then again to the left, and went around her from the right, leaving her confused.

Right then, when she was busy wondering what to do, Eragon attacked her from behind. She managed to block the blow by turning around, but Eragon had the momentum, while Sianelle was the obstacle. Brisingr collided with her sword with a huge force, pushing them both away from each other.

Sianelle gasped and looked at Eragon, who chanced a look at Arya. Jeffron was on the defensive, and his sword was being battered from left to right by Arya, who was trying to get past his defences. Eragon then turned to Sianelle, who seemed unsure of what to do.

"In a real fight . . . there is only one rule, do whatever it takes to survive, but also an exception . . . do whatever you can to save your comrades. Always do your best and try not leave anyone behind." Eragon told her, nodding at Jeffron, who was losing his fight with Arya. "You should help him, because you have a chance to slip away from me. Most warriors don't care what is going to happen next in a fight, they just want to get the fight over with . . . they would chase you."

Sianelle turned to look at Jeffron, who had fallen to the ground and was backing away hurriedly, trying to get to his feet. But it looked like Arya was going to end the match quite soon.

"Understood, master!" Sianelle said suddenly, sprinting past him, and Eragon grinned. He turned around and watched Sianelle charge at Arya, who looked up just in time to duck under a sword thrust, then jumped to the side, her eyes slightly wide.

Jeffron hurriedly got to his feet, while Sianelle attacked Arya, who blocked one, two, three blows, then moved to the side, dodging the attack. She retaliated with a powerful slash, which was strong enough to knock Sianelle's sword out of her hand. Arya got a hint of triumph in her eyes, as she began to raise her sword to Sianelle's neck.

But Jeffron attacked Arya again, who jumped away from Sianelle, then turned to Eragon, who was just watching, "What are you doing? Help me already!"

Eragon laughed and charged, while Sianelle dived for her sword and picked it up, rolling to her feet. Jeffron charged towards Eragon as well, his silver sword stretched downwards in his hand. As soon as they came close, their swords clashed, and Jeffron batted Eragon sword to the side, and swung his own back at Eragon's chest, but Eragon dodged the sword easily by leaning back slightly. He began backing away slowly, blocking and parrying Jeffron's blows.

Jeffron pressed his attack, confident that he had Eragon on the defensive. How wrong he was. Eragon parried another blow, and as Jeffron swung his sword around again, Eragon blocked it in such a way that the sword slid down the blade of Brisingr, and struck and cross-guard of the sword. Eragon then swiftly moved both the swords in a circle, twisting Jeffron's hand.

The elf cried out in surprise and pain as his sword slid out of his hand and fell to the floor. Eragon smiled, and raised his sword to Jeffron's neck, saying , "Dead . . . but a valiant effort."

The elf's eyes were wide, and he was staring at Eragon in surprise, silent for a moment. "Thank you, master." Jeffron said, and Eragon nodded. "But I know that it won't be good enough against Crugan . . . What shall I focus on while practicing?"

Eragon placed a hand on his shoulder, watching Sianelle and Arya still trading blows. "Your fighting style and movements are perfect, Jeffron, no doubt about it. You have been trained very well . . . just try to see through your enemy's traps and cunning, because there is going to be a lot of those in this battle."

Sianelle ducked under Yawe, then swung her own sword up, but Arya dodged it by moving to the left. In split second, Arya grabbed Sianelle's wrist with her free hand and pushed it away, while raising Yawe to her collarbone.

"Dead . . ." Eragon heard her say, and turned away, looking at the other ships. But at the same time, whatever Saphira had been planning to do to Valinor and Jrake evaporated in a haze of excitement as she contacted him hurriedly.

 _I wonder what's happened . . . Saphira?_ Eragon asked, and looked up at the blue dragoness.

 _I think I can see land ahead, Eragon, but I am not sure . . . It seems like a silhouette of a giant mountain._ Saphira said, and Eragon turned east, looking straight ahead from the deck of the ship.

 _Pick me up, I think I better take a look._ Eragon said.

Three hours had passed since Eragon had climbed onto Saphira, who had descended to the ship, and they had flown high, and taken a look straight ahead. Eragon was well pleased with what he had found. Now, he had called together a meeting of all the captains of the ships, and they were all currently in the captain's cabin, and it was night time.

Eragon stared at all of them for a second, the four captains, and the three Riders along with him staring back at him. He sighed and placed his hands on the table in front of him.

"I have some good news . . . we saw got a glance of land straight ahead, and we are sure that we are heading in the right direction . . . that's because when we looked out there, at first we just saw a enormous mountain . . . but after a while of straining, Saphira managed to see more mountains of roughly the same size, behind the one we found earlier." Eragon told them, and the dwarf, Ghrion, scratched his beard thoughtfully.

The human, Jhonas, who had been staring at Sianelle jumped when Jeffron cleared his throat deliberately, while Zarkhroff raised his chin up to show his sign of respect, while the elf, Threandor, bowed his head.

"And, considering the distance, I think we'll be there in about . . . four or five days." Eragon told them all, and they all gave sighs of relief.

"I was getting rather tired of the continuous rocking of the ships anyway." Jhonas said, and Eragon nodded at him. He then took a couple of steps back, and returned next to Arya.

"You can return to your ships now, and inform your people about this . . . but also, there is another thing. From today onwards, you have to ask some soldiers to keep watch at night . . . there is a strong possibility of pirates here, also the ships of Crugan and his minions . . . but don't attack any ship that you see, they might be our allies." Eragon told them. He had told all of them about Crugan the very day they began their voyage.

Eragon then stood to the side, letting the captains leave the room and head for their own ships. He nodded and smiled at all of them as they left, then placed his hands into the pockets of his robes and gave out a low whistle.

 _That went well . . ._ Eragon thought, a little relieved.

 _I agree, little one, just five more days, then we can rest._ Saphira said, while Eragon also left the room, followed by Arya and the others.

 _You're right . . . wait, does Arya seem a little tensed to you? Or . . ._ Eragon began to ask her, but he was interrupted.

 _I am tensed, Eragon._ Arya told him mentally, and he turned to her, wondering what was wrong. He realised that her eyebrows were strained, and her eyes were rather smaller than usual. Behind her, Jeffron smiled and nodded at Eragon, then entered the captains quarters again, followed by Sianelle.

"What's wrong, dear?" Eragon asked her, while Arya just walked off towards a bag that was lying just next to the door of the captain's cabin.

"I want to contact Deaother, I want to see how he is." Arya said, while Eragon just stood there, an eyebrow raised.

"Listen to me, he is fine." Eragon told her as she opened the small sack, made of cloth, and pulled out an oval shaped mirror, which she brought to him, her eyes staring into it.

"No harm in talking to him is there . . . Eragon, I yearn to hear his voice . . . I don't know, I just feel that something has gone wrong back there, and that we made a big mistake by coming here . . ." Arya said, holding the mirror in front of her, while Eragon joined her side so that they were both reflected in it.

"Fine then . . . go ahead, scry him." Eragon told her, placing his hand across her shoulders comfortingly. "I want to talk to him as well."

Arya said the words, and the mirror went black for a while, after which slowly it began to form into an image of their son. Arya stared at him, he looked like he was fine. They couldn't see the surroundings yet, they were still a blur, but Deaother was standing in the centre. But, after a moment, the surroundings turned completely white, and only Deaother was illuminated there.

"Why are the surroundings white?" Eragon asked her, grabbing the mirror from her and stared at the mirror. Deaother was sitting down and was breathing deeply as if he was tired.

"Maybe he is somewhere where we haven't gone . . . but we have gone almost everywhere in Ellesmera, then why . . ." Eragon thought, but Arya hurriedly took the mirror from him again, then muttered more words.

The mirror went black again, and after a moment, they saw the image of Ellesmera. Arya and Eragon, both gasped, and Arya nearly dropped the mirror.

 _What? . . . How could this happen?_ Eragon thought, bewildered for a second before the horror of the situation broke down upon him. _Oh no . . . Blast it! We did make a mistake!_

The city was strewn with corpses, corpses of elves for the most part. Eragon stared hard at what he was seeing, while Arya also strained her eyes. They both looked at each other next, and Eragon gave her shoulders a small jerk because he could see doubt in her eyes.

"E-Eragon . . .what could have happened? Why are those elves . . . The Tialdari Hall! We better scry that!" Arya said, and the mirror went black again, after which it showed the image of the Tialdari Hall, Arya's previous home.

"Oh no . . ." Eragon said, and Arya shuddered slightly, and Eragon turned to her to see that she was staring at the mirror with disbelieving eyes. He wasn't just surprised, he found it extremely hard and painful to believe as well.

King Dathedr lay dead, and elves were fighting dark figures all around him, while a hooded figure stood over the king. He stared at the king for a while, then looked up and watched the Ra'zac slay the elves one by one. The elves were heavily outnumbered, and more and more Ra'zac just kept coming from over the walls.

"W-We have to go back Eragon . . . Eragon, we must go back!" Arya said, turning to him, and Eragon could see the worry in her eyes. He understood, he felt it as well, but he knew that there was nothing they could do.

"It will be too late . . . Arya . . . there is nothing we can do, they were caught by surprise, we couldn't have helped them even if we were at Vroengard." Eragon told her, placing both his hands on her shoulders.

"Our . . . Our s-son is there Eragon, we have to try. We have to try to save him!" Arya said, and now she was shouting quite loudly. Eragon flinched at her tone, then hurriedly pulled her close as he saw her eyes beginning to water.

"He can take care of himself . . . No one can stand in front of Deaother, Arya, you know that . . . once he realizes his own potential, he will be unstoppable." Eragon told her, rubbing her back slowly. She shook her head, rubbing her eyes on his chest.

"My child . . . My child is there Eragon! How can you expect me to just stand here . . . no, I am going back, and so is Valinor . . . I am not going let him die!" Arya said, now beginning to push him back. Eragon backed off as Arya hit his chest powerfully, nearly throwing him off his feet.

"Arya! Think properly! We can't do anything except help Eragon the first, and stop Crugan! Deaother can handle anyone other than Crugan, so calm down." Eragon told her, and she shook her head.

"What if it is Crugan whom we saw in the mirror? . . . What if it is Crugan who just killed the king?" Arya asked him, her voice shaking now.

"It can't be him, Arya, calm down . . . please, just calm down." Eragon pleaded, going towards her, but she raised her palm, telling him to stop.

"No Eragon . . . our son is at risk here, and I am not going to let anything harm him, do you hear? And even you can't stop me from getting to him." Arya told him angrily.

Eragon stared at her, although he himself was quite worried, he knew he had to focus on what he had set out to do. As a father, he was confident in Deaother's abilities, but Arya wasn't because she had hardly seen him in action. Eragon sighed.

"I know, but how are you going to get there?" Eragon asked her, and she stared at him, silenced. It was a valid point which Eragon had made. He shook his head after that. "See, there is-"

"There is a way . . . there is a way to get there!" Arya said, then pointed an accusing finger at him. "You know how we can get there, but you aren't telling me! Don't think you can hide it from me, Eragon, and stop being foolhardy!"

Eragon curled his fingers to fists tightly, annoyed and frustrated now. He regretted agreeing to let his mind be connected with hers all the time, even though he had given Aren to Deaother. "That is just plain stupid Arya, you want to teleport yourself to Ellesmera? That's the only way, and what if you teleport yourself into a tree? Or into a Ra'zac? A lot of help you'll be then."

"I don't care, Eragon, but I and Valinor, both of us are going. And you are going to help us!" Arya said, walking towards him.

"No way, I am going to stop you. You are out of your mind, Arya! . . . Valinor, you tell her!" Eragon said, knowing that both the dragons had been listening to their entire conversation.

 _Don't you dare!_ Arya told Valinor threateningly.

 _Loved one, think . . . Deaother is one of the greatest warriors in Alagaesia, he defeated Dathedr and-_

 _Crugan also defeated Dathedr, Valinor._ Arya said, and Eragon was sure he heard the green dragon hiss, irritated.

 _You are just assuming, Arya, we don't know if that was Crugan yet. So just calm down._ Valinor told her.

"Listen to your dragon, calm down!" Eragon told her, and Arya walked up to him. Eragon began to back off automatically, but she caught him in the end, grabbed the hem of his robes and pulled his face close to hers.

"You are going to teleport me and Valinor to Ellesmera, use the energy in Brisingr, Yawe, yourself, and Saphira, do anything, just get us there . . . right now, you hear?" Arya asked him, and he shook his head.

She grabbed his robes with both her hands then and shook him in return, "Blast you Eragon! Why!? Why are you doing this? I want to go to my son!"

"Arya . . . I . . . knew something like this would happen, which is why I asked you to go to Ellesmera and stay with Deaother and let me go on my own . . . but you decided to come here, and you knew that there was no turning back after the voyage had started . . . its too late to have-"

"Don't lecture me Eragon, and just teleport me! I'll go alone if I have to!" Arya said, but the fierceness which she had had earlier had disappeared now. No, it seemed like she was pleading, shaking his robes feebly. Eragon bowed his head, guilty and sad to see her this way. There was silence between them for a while, and Eragon hoped for a moment that she had given up the thought, but then, "Please Eragon, please . . . let me go. Please do it, teleport me . . ."

Eragon didn't reply, but embraced her slowly, , rubbing his cheek on her hair. Arya began to sob in his arms, and Eragon just held her warmly.

"Arya . . . I can't do it Arya, not because I am not capable, I have the strength to do it on my own . . . but because I . . . I don't have the strength to send you away from me . . . I can't bear it." Eragon said, and Arya looked up at him with red eyes and a tear-streaked face.

"So, you will just stand here, and let our son die? . . . What about him? . . . I don't care about myself, Eragon, I care about him . . . he is my baby . . ." Arya said, and Eragon gently pulled her close again, placing her head on his chest.

"Hush . . . We'll find a way out of this . . ." Eragon said, stroking her hair while Arya tried to get way from him like a stubborn girl trying to get away from her father.

 _Saphira? . . . What do I do? . . . I don't want to send her, but I know that she wants to go, she won't be able to concentrate if we didn't do something._ Eragon told her, rubbing the back of Arya's head.

 _I know what you mean, and I also know what you can do . . ._ Saphira said, and he looked around as the blue dragoness came next to him. She and Bindroen were resting now.

 _What do I do?_ Eragon asked her again, and she blinked.

 _What does your heart say?_ Saphira asked him, and he looked down at Arya, who was holding him tightly.

 _A half of it says it wants to go . . . and the other half says to listen to the first . . . Arya wants to go, and you are telling me to listen to her . . ._ Eragon told her, and she blinked again.

 _Then listen._ Saphira said simply. Eragon blinked this time.

 _Sure?_ Eragon asked her, and Saphira smiled at him, and nodded, the sight of which brought back a little life to him.

 _Do it . . ._

Eragon stared at her, then let go of Arya and placed a hand on her chin, and held it up slowly. Her eyes were closed, but Eragon reached forward and kissed her deeply, surprising her, but she returned the kiss as well.

Eragon let go after a moment, and stared at her, then kissed her again, unable o stop himself. This time she pushed him back slowly, and moved back from him, staring at him sadly. "I have to go to him, Eragon."

Eragon nodded at her, "I-I am going to send you there, my love . . . get your armour and everything else . . . I will start preparing for the spell, and . . . hurry up."

Behind him, Bindroen took off, flying towards Jeffron, while Valinor landed next to Saphira. Eragon walked towards them, while Arya hurried off to the captain's cabin.

 _Are you alright?_ Saphira asked him, and he shook his head. _Don't worry . . . you are sending her to safety, just like you wanted to._

Eragon sent her and Valinor the image of the corpses strewn all over Ellesmera, and asked, _Safety?_

Valinor growled loudly, _Who did this? When I get the person, I am going to tear him, and his minions to shreds!_

Eragon smiled at him, _Good to know . . . But be careful Valinor, Arya is desperate . . . don't be desperate yourself, stay calm and stay focused, and if you find Deaother and other survivors, help them . . ._

 _Here she comes!_ Saphira said, and Eragon turned around to see Arya coming towards them, in a complete set of her green armour, helm in one hand and holding a huge bag containing Valinor's disassembled dragon armour, in the other hand. Behind her, Jeffron carried the saddle, while Sianelle brought the saddlebags.

Valinor growled, and crawled towards her. _Now we are talking!_

Eragon stared at her as she emptied the glinting, green coloured plates on the ground.

"Are you certain you want to do this, Arya? . . . You won't be able to return to me after this . . ." Eragon told her, and she nodded.

"I know Eragon, but you can handle yourself, and you have Saphira, and the others with you . . . Deaother might be on his own, but we know he is alive . . . I plan to get him to safety." Arya said, and Eragon shook his head.

"I still don't like this . . ." Eragon persisted, as Arya and Sianelle began to put Valinor's armour onto him. "I still think you shouldn't go."

"I don't like it either Eragon, but its necessary." Arya told him, and Eragon turned away from her and the others, and walked towards the edge of the deck, placing his hands on the handhold.

The sea looked so different in the moonlight, Eragon couldn't help but smile at it, even in the present situation. He waited, while the other Riders helped Arya with Valinor's armour, and Saphira just stared at him, granting Eragon a peace of mind which he was grateful for.

After several minutes, Arya called him, placing Yawe on her belt, long dagger on her left thigh, and wearing gauntlets only on her right hand, leaving her left hand open so that she could use magic.

"We are ready Eragon." Arya said, and Eragon just nodded, immersing himself into the flow of magic.

 _Saphira, I might need your help, since they have got armour on as well._ Eragon told her, and he felt himself being pulled into her partially, immense energy filling his body, and hers, as they became one.

 _I was going to tell you to do it this way anyway . . . and connect yourself to Brisingr as well, I don't want you to take any chances._ Saphira ordered him, and Eragon obeyed, reaching into the sapphire of his sword. Saphira herself reached into the belt of Beloth the Wise.

 _Ready?_ Eragon asked her, his finger shivering slightly with the energy in him.

 _Yes._ Saphira replied.

"Be safe Arya, Valinor . . . I love you both." Eragon told them in a low voice, then raised his hand towards Arya and Valinor, and his palm began to glow as he began to say the spell.

This spell was quite different than the one he had learnt from Oromis. This spell was a lot longer as he had to specify on two living beings, and also on the place where he had to send them, in much, much more detail.

He began the spell, reciting it in a tune, letting the words flow out of him. The only similarity between this spell and the other one was that distance didn't matter, it would take same energy to teleport anyone a yard or a hundred miles.

Arya stared at Eragon, her visor pulled up. Eragon had his eyes closed and head bowed, as did Saphira. Eragon's palm was glowing blue, and the light was slowly growing brighter and stronger.

" . . . _ethgri abr gata_!" Eragon finished the long spell, and for a split second, nothing happened, his palm kept glowing. Sianelle raised an eyebrow, and Jrake gave small hiss.

But then, a huge light burst forth from Eragon's palm, illuminating Arya and Valinor, and slowly, the light got brighter and brighter. Arya pulled down her visor, and Valinor closed his eyes.

"Get airborne! Fast!" Eragon yelled, and Arya climbed onto Valinor's saddle quickly. Valinor flapped his wings, rising just a couple of feet fro the ground, before the spell took its effect.

There was a blast of light, and a wave of air and energy exploded outwards, Sianelle cried out in surprise, as did Jeffron as they both fell back with the force, and Saphira also felt the push on her. But Eragon didn't, since he was the one who had cast it.

Arya and Valinor had vanished, while Eragon fell to his knees, exhausted. Next to him, Saphira also fell to the ground, exhausted. They had exhausted all the energy from Brisingr, and the gems in the belt.

 _That . . . that was a little tougher than I thought . . ._ Eragon said, and Saphira sent him an annoyed nudge with her already weak mind.

 _Little?! It's a good thing I told you to use Brisingr and the belt, and that I was helping you . . . this spell would have killed you for sure if you were doing it on your own._ Saphira told him, but Eragon hardly heard her as he fell forward onto his hands and his vision began to blur and fade swiftly.

Sianelle and Jeffron came running towards Eragon, "Hurry, we must give him our energy!" Jeffron said, and they placed both their palms on his chest, entering his vast conscience, and pooling energy into him, while Bindroen and Jrake landed and did the same for Saphira.

Eragon felt the huge amount of energy enter him, and he gasped slightly, as his vision began to fade slowly and he lay on the brink of consciousness, while his students looked down at him. He gave them both a small smile, then closed his eyes, knowing that he had done as his mate had asked him, and that he had teleported her to the skies just above Ellesméra, from where they were on their own.

 _All the best, Arya . . . I just hope I will see you again._ Eragon thought, and that was his last thought before he fell unconscious from the effort as his body ached with the magic he had cast. Sianelle and Jeffron stared at him, confused, and Saphira came towards him, crawling.


	65. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64: First glimpse of Alalea**

"Ebrithil, what do we do once we have reached Alalea?" Sianelle asked, standing beside Eragon, who was staring straight from the deck of their ship. Ahead of them loomed a great mountain, its top vanishing in the white clouds of the sky. It was the first mountain of an entire range that stretched ahead of them. The mountains were huge, extremely huge, and compared to the Beor mountains, Eragon was unsure which ones were larger.

"Hopefully we will run into Eragon's forces first, and then we can tell them that we are here to help, and hope that they believe us." Eragon said, and smiled at the young Rider, who gave him an uncertain look, as if she wanted to ask something else, then turned away.

High above them, Saphira, Jrake and Bindroen flew along with the ships, watching in awe at the mountain. Eragon smiled at them, he understood why they were in joy. They had actually reached a new land, a place where hardly anyone from Alagaesia had gone.

 _I wonder where Eragon the first will be . . . He said somewhere around here, there is a city . . . can you see a city anywhere, Saphira?_ Eragon asked her, and watched as she searched the region with her sharp eyes.

 _We still aren't close enough for me to make out things exactly, but I am sure that there is an island ahead of us, between us and the mainland on which those mountains lie . . . it might be a good idea to go there first and take a break . . . I am pretty sure the people on the ships will need it._ Saphira said thoughtfully, while Eragon strained his own eyes, trying to identify any island.

It took him several moments, but he realized that she was right, and that there was an island straight ahead of them. He scratched his head, wondering whether if Ellrion was on that island. Doubtful, he asked Saphira.

 _Well, I can see a city there now . . . in fact, a big one . . . and . . . its not good, what else I see there._ Saphira said slowly, and Eragon knew that she was straining her eyes, trying to see far enough.

 _What do you see?_ Eragon asked her.

 _That city, its under attack . . . here, take a look . . ._ Saphira said, and sent him an image. Eragon gasped slightly as he beheld the city. Saphira had said the right word, 'huge'. The city was immense, built on one side of the mountain, it had extremely large and tall towers, and the tallest of them had a flat of top, probably meant for dragons. The city was protected in layers, by many walls, and seemed quite a a defensible city.

But, in spite of all these show of strength, a dark army stood outside the city, and Eragon was sure that there were catapults bombarding the city. And, in the skies, dark figures could be seen, probably dragons and Lethrblaka. Eragon sighed then, thinking. Was it worth risking all these men?

 _Saphira, I think you and Jrake better land._ Eragon told her, and he was pleased to hear a roar in response and he looked up as she dived, along with Jrake. Turning to Sianelle, he said, "Call the other captains of the other ships . . . and tell them to hurry."

"Of course." Sianelle replied and hurried away, towards the captain's cabin. Saphira landed behind Eragon, who turned around and stroked her lovingly. Saphira rubbed her face against his hand and nudged at him, concerned.

 _What's wrong?_ She asked him as she felt the sudden turbulence in his thoughts.

 _I . . . Arya, I thought we would enter Alalea together . . . but no, she left, and I haven't got a word from her yet. She hasn't even bothered to contact me yet._ Eragon said, placing his hands at the back of his head, and looking to the side.

 _So? Maybe she is busy with something, maybe Deaother really was in trouble._ Saphira replied thoughtfully.

 _That doesn't me she shouldn't tell me . . . what's wrong with her?_ Eragon asked, turning around, seeming quite exasperated.

 _This might be hard, Eragon, but you let her go away . . . now you must face the consequences . . . That's the only way to explain this._ Saphira told him, and he just shook his head.

 _There is something going on back there, and I really need to find out what . . . and I will, why don't you ask Thorn, Saphira?_ Eragon asked her.

 _Not now, we have other headaches at the moment, the captains are here . . . you better tell them what they need to know, and what you called them here for._ Saphira said, making Eragon rub his eyes and turn around, watching the human, elf, dwarf and Urgal walking towards him. He nodded and crossed his arms.

"Greetings, Kingslayer . . ." Jhonas, the human captain said.

"Forgive me, but we don't have time for pleasantries . . . this is urgent." Eragon said, beckoning them to come closer. Sianelle and Jeffron also joined them, listening to Eragon. "I think we have found where Eragon the First is, and that the place in under attack as we speak . . . Eragon the First is the reason that Alagaesia survived, twice, and we are not going to let him down now. It he is there, then we must save him . . . do you understand?" Eragon asked them, and they all nodded.

"So this is what I propose, all four of you, you need to be in charge of soldiers from all the races, not just your own . . . this is because," Eragon continued as the captains seemed ready to protest. "Because all of them have their own bonuses and drawbacks, and each of them can make up for the other . . ."

The captains stared at him, uncertain, then Zarkhroff, the Urgal captain, said, "As you wish, Firesword . . . We shall merge."

Eragon gave him a nod, then asked Jeffron to get a slate and quill and ink, and asked Saphira to fly up and try to get a clearer picture of the city once more.

 _Are you planning to make a map?_ Saphira asked him as she leapt off the ship and flapped in the air, while the captains walked to the side, discussing something among themselves. Sianelle stood by his side, staring up at Saphira.

 _In a way, but we need a strategy . . . I intend to make one._ Eragon told her, keeping his arms crossed.

"Ebrithil, how do we know if this really is Ellrion?" Sianelle asked him abruptly, and Eragon turned to her. He was sure that the young Rider had a doubt, and he intended to clear it.

"We don't . . . we have a suspicion that it is, because it fits the description of the city . . . we just need to be sure." Eragon told her, and she nodded, although she still seemed unsure. "You'll understand when we get to work, I am sure." Eragon smiled at her, then looked up to see Saphira stationary in the air.

 _Here . . . wait . . . I think I just saw a dragon, a huge one at that . . . Eragon, that dragon is white in colour. It could be Bid'daum, couldn't it?_ Saphira said.

Eragon felt elation come to him as he heard her. _It has to be! Do we know any other huge white dragon, who is still alive?_

 _I suppose not . . . well then, we should hurry, they haven't started fighting yet, and we better get there before they do._ Saphira told him, hurrying towards the ground.

 _I need to see the city . . ._ Eragon told her, and she sent him an image in response. The city was much the same, thought the army was closer to it now. But Eragon was far more perturbed by the dragon who, indeed, was pure white and beautiful, its scales reflecting the sun perfectly.

"Master, here." Jeffron said suddenly, and Eragon looked around to see him holding a slate of lay, and a quill and ink.

"Thank you, Jeffron, this might take a moment . . . we better sit down . . ." Eragon said, crouching onto one knee, while the younger Riders sat down with their legs crossed.

Eragon placed the slate on the ground, and pointed his right palm at it, forming an image in his mind. The image was that of the city, but from up high, in the form of a map. He exhaled when he got the image ready, then said the words in the Ancient Language and waited as the colors formed a haze, then formed themselves into a painting of the huge, mountainside city with the army right ahead of it. Eragon had not bothered to put in the Lethrblaka and dragon.

"Right, captains, if you please . . ." Eragon said, beckoning to come over, while he and the others stood up.

"What is it?" Jeffron asked, curious.

"The city of Ellrion . . . Saphira saw Bid'daum there, which means that we are on the right track." Eragon said, and saw both Jeffron's and Sianelle's face light up in amazement. A little to the side, Bindroen and Jrake also looked at him in exclamation.

Eragon nodded, and showed the fairth to the captains, with the quill in his hand, "This is the city which we have to save . . . so here's what we have to do." Eragon said, and looked at the human captain. "Jhonas, you will get your unit into position here, to the right of the army." Eragon placed the quill at a point behind a small hill, hiding the army from view. The human captain agreed.

He then turned to the elf captain, "Threandor, you will need to use magic to make your unit invisible, and you will approach the back of the army, very quietly and cautiously . . . and remain in position here, right here." Eragon placed the quill at a cluster of trees a little behind the army. Threandor nodded.

"Ghrion, I think you better join Threandor, much the same way, use magic to make yourselves invisible, and take position here." Eragon placed the quill at a small pond, a little away from the cluster of trees. The dwarf captain replied with an, "Aye."

"And Zarkhroff, you will take position to the left of the army, you will have to use magic as well . . . and stay there." Eragon said, placing his quill near a lone tree, not too far, nor too close to the army. "Now, all of you will be in these positions, and you will only charge when the six of us do . . . we need everything to happen at once, to give them a surprise . . ." Eragon told them, and a smile came to Ghrion's and Jhonas's face, while Threandor remained the same, and Zarkhroff scratched his chin, uncertain.

"Zarkhroff, I know there is no glory in this, but we have our homes to save . . . we need to do things that are necessary, perhaps not proper, but necessary." Eragon told him, and he nodded, but didn't meet Eragon's eye.

He'll be fine, Eragon, it's alright. Saphira said, and Eragon listened to her, continuing where he had left off, "When you hear Saphira roar, I want all of your units to charge as fast as possible, and make a lot of noise, yell around, do anything . . . if we can instill fear in them, then half the battle is won."

"Aye, Kingslayer, understood . . ." Threandor said, and Eragon placed the fairth into a pocket, while the captains retreated.

"We have a couple of hours before we reach the island, you may use the time to speak to your soldiers, and tell them what to do, and who will be with whom . . ." Eragon told them. They nodded and turned around, heading for the boats to their own ships.

Eragon sighed as he watched them go, then turned to Jeffron and Sianelle, "Talk to your dragons, and spend some time with them, and discuss what you have learnt about combat . . . You are going to need it." Eragon told them, and they hurried towards the dragons, who got to their feet.

He himself turned to Saphira when she nudged at him, and he looked around. _A hundred years ago, you wouldn't have recognized yourself._

 _True . . . a hundred years hence, will I recognize myself?_ Eragon asked her.

 _You might, you never know . . . but you were never the . . . you know . . ._ Saphira trailed off, looking up at the sky.

 _The leader type? . . . well, I was forced into it, so I might as well make use of it, don't you think?_ Eragon asked her, scratching her neck scales.

Saphira growled and came closer, while he sat back, leaning on her shoulder as she curled her huge neck around him. _Oh, little one . . . even though you are so old now, you are still the 'little one' to me._

 _And you are growing bigger and bigger, have you ever considered going on a diet?_ Eragon asked her, and got a smack on his head as she flapped her wing.

 _No, and I won't, Thorn doesn't mind it if I grow, so I am happy . . . Unlike you, who has some . . . issues with fatness._ Saphira said, making Eragon grin. He laid his head back and relaxed, looking up at the sky. Now, he just had to rest for some time, then put on his armor and do what he had come all the way to Alalea for: to help Eragon the First.

* * *

The armor tinkled as Eragon walked out of the captain's cabin, Brisingr on his hip and a shield on his back. He held his helm under his armpit and walked towards Saphira, who was wearing her own armor, the metal plates glistening, covering her own lustrous scales.

 _And so, here we go again . . ._ Eragon said, staring at her as she got to her feet, her eyes meeting his. She blinked. _Back to fighting, back to killing . . . and we are going to make it through this, Saphira, for sure._

 _Oh, of course, we are in this together after all . . ._ Saphira said, while Eragon began trotting, then running towards her. He leapt onto her huge, front paw, then took another running start onto her back, where he carefully maneuvered himself into the saddle.

 _This armor doesn't fit me that properly . . . I should have asked Arya to make it a little broader._ Saphira said suddenly. Several months back, before Deaother had left for Ellesmera, Valinor had realized that none of the dragons were able to fit in their armor. It had been a moment when they all had laughed, but then Arya had got to work immediately, from the skills she had learnt from Rhunon so long ago. Now, all their armors had been increased in size, so that they fit.  
 _Is it hindering you?_ Eragon asked, concerned.  
 _Not now, but it will after a few months, I will outgrow it once more._ Saphira said, and Eragon gave a small laugh.

 _Come on, let's go . . . Jrake and Bindroen are waiting for you._ Eragon told her, and they took off, towards the two dragons who were already flying in the air and watching the Lead dragon and Rider coming towards them.

 _I can't believe we are actually doing this . . . going to another land . . . fighting there, saving the person whom we came to aid . . ._ Saphira said, and Eragon flexed his fingers, feeling his gauntlets move with him. Reaching down, he pulled out his sword and watched it shine in the sunlight. He placed it back in its sheath, then pulled on his helm, hi vision now reducing to the slits in his visor, but that was all he needed.

 _Well, it is why we came all the way to Alalea for . . . now lets do it, let us fight and save Eragon and Bid'daum._ Eragon said, then pulled his visor up as they reached the other dragons.

He waved at Jeffron and Sianelle, who waved back. Jrake and Bindroen came closer to Saphira, watching them. "We are going to fly straight, stay behind us, on either sides . . . Jrake, Bindroen, there are going to be several Lethrblaka there, so be ready for aerial combat . . . Jeffron, Sianelle, I want the two of you to be atop your dragons throughout the battle, don't get reckless, even though you might seem to be extremely powerful . . . all of us have weaknesses, and overconfidence is the biggest one, and we should not fall to it. Understood?" Eragon had to bellow over the flapping of the wings so that they would be able to hear him.

"What shall we do after the Lethrblaka are killed?" Sianelle asked, while Eragon began to pull his visor down.

"Join me, I shall tell you what to do . . ." Eragon replied. "Now, let us go!"

Below them, the five ships neared the sandy shores of the island, just a little away from the city being attacked. They lowered their anchors, and soon, several boats dropped off large number of units on the land. Saphira and the other landed, and the six of them watched as dwarves, elves, humans and Urgals slowly disembarked the ship. It took almost an hour for all of them to get off the ships, but soon they were all present there, in neat lines according to their units, in front of the dragons.

Eragon watched them, and smiled. The captains of the ships stood in front of their units, comprising of soldiers from all the races. _Saphira, we do have a fighting chance against Crugan afterall, for a moment, I was beginning to doubt it . . ._ Eragon told her.

 _Well, if you doubted it, then why did you arouse all the people back home?_ Saphira asked him.

 _Because I didn't want Alagaesia to be defeated without any resistance . . . if we were going to die, we weren't going to do so without a fight._ Eragon replied.

 _You bet we weren't!_ Saphira said.

 _I just hope things are alright back there._ Eragon replied, sighing. He had tried contacting his mate before he had come out from the cabin, but the mirror had just shown a black void. Eragon had got a fright for a moment, before he had scried Valinor and seen Arya atop him.

 _They must be . . . we better concentrate on Alalea now, Eragon, just as you said earlier._ Saphira told him, and he agreed to the indirect nudge that she made, which clearly meant: Concentrate on the matter at hand.

 _Let's go._ Eragon replied.


	66. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65: First Battle at Alalea**

Eragon watched from Saphira's back as the three dragons flapped forwards swiftly, heading towards the north, flying over the island, a dense forest below them. The island was green, extremely green, and almost plain. There were almost no hills, just some mountains towards the north, which was where the city of Ellrion was, the place they were going to save.

The army under the four different captains moved forward as well, following the dragons, going through the forest. The dragons were much faster, and Eragon had intended to survey the battlefield before the army got there, then signal them to begin the attack.

 _I just hope the city hasn't fallen yet._ Eragon said as the mountains loomed ahead of them, the city at the base of one of the mountains. The army in front of it wasn't a very big one, just a few thousand soldiers, and they were still launching boulders at the city, and at the same time Eragon could see that some of the opposing soldiers had scaled the walls of the city, although there were also some defenders left, but they were numerically few in number.

Eragon looked down, and saw Jhonas's unit get into position behind the hill, as he had said. Eragon turned around, but he couldn't see the other units as they were invisible. Thinking fast, he decided to give them another ten minutes, during which he surveyed the battle field.

Ahead of them, Eragon couldn't see any Lethrblaka or dragons, and since Saphira and the other two dragons were invisible, there was hardly any chance of the Lethrblaka coming after them. Still he looked up to the skies, wondering if Bid'daum had led them high in the clouds.

 _Saphira, do you see any dragon or Lethrblaka?_ Eragon asked her.

 _Yes, I do, don't you?_ Saphira asked him back, surprised. _I have been watched them all this time._

 _Really? Where are they?_ Eragon asked her, and she sent him an image of a huge, white dragon tackling two Lethrblaka at once. But the surroundings were blue, so he still didn't understand.

 _To the right._ Saphira said simply and he turned. True enough, there were five Lethrblaka there, and just two dragons, one pure white in color, and the other red in color. Eragon scratched the back of his head, wondering where the other dragon had come from.

Meanwhile, the other Riders watched the huge dragons tackling the Lethrblaka in pure amazement. It was quite a great moment for them, as they watched one of the greatest legends of history before them.

"You four!" Eragon shouted over the flapping of wings. "We are going to help those two dragons, so follow me as . . . no wait . . ." Eragon suddenly said, looking to the ground.

 _What is it?_ Saphira asked.

 _Is that Eragon the First?_ Eragon asked her, and she followed his gaze, and gave a hiss of surprise.

 _It is!_ Saphira replied. There was an elf there in glimmering white armor, and he was leading the defense of the city. The opposing army had broken into the city.

 _And I think now is a good time to launch the attack._ Eragon told her, then turned around and shouted, "You four, follow Saphira and help those dragons! Defeat the Lethrblaka, then join me in the battle."

 _What do you mean?_ Saphira asked him, taken aback by his sudden change in thoughts.

 _I mean, drop me down there, with Jhonas's unit._ Eragon replied.

 _Why?_ Saphira pressed, not wanting to let him go.

 _Saphira, I know you don't want me to leave you, but I really must meet Eragon the first, otherwise he will think we are reinforcement for the invaders, so . . . just drop me down there._ Eragon told her patiently, rubbing her neck lovingly.

 _Be careful, and . . . once I defeat those Lethrblaka, you are joining me in the air._ Saphira told him.

 _Partner-of-my-heart-and-soul, I will be fine, you don't need to worry so much . . ._ Eragon said as Saphira dived towards Jhonas's unit. _Roar when you take off, and I will remove the spell of invisibility, alright?_

 _Hmph . . . fine, but if something happens to you, I am coming down there and tearing apart all those who are near you._ Saphira said fiercely, stopping Eragon from arguing any more.

 _As you wish . . . now drop me off, will you?_ Eragon said.

They dived towards the ground, and landed gently on the ground. Eragon hurriedly pulled off his straps and removed the invisibility spell covering him, suddenly becoming visible to the unit of fighters. Most of them, including Jhonas, jumped when they saw him appear, but Eragon ignored their reactions, and instead nodded in the general direction of Saphira.

 _I love you, Saphira . . . so don't worry about me._ He told her reassuringly, knowing that she wouldn't be able to fight at her best if she was worried about him.

 _Little one, we haven't fought a battle against real enemies in almost a hundred years, and to be so suddenly thrust into this just gives me a bad feeling . . ._ Saphira said, and he could almost feel a large, sapphire blue, invisible eye on him, filled with concern.

 _I know, I feel the same way . . . but this is pointless, we are going to make it through this, and very soon we will be together again . . . now go, we don't have much time._ Eragon said, and reached forward, stroking her head, and she rubbed her face against his palm.

 _Let's go get them then._ Saphira replied, then backed away from him, and flapped to the air, pulling her head back. Then, she roared mightily, the sound magic the ground tremble and Eragon's ears ache. But he hurriedly stopped the flow of magic that kept her invisible. Saphira appeared before all the Lethrblaka and the opposing army, her scales sparkling beautifully.

 _Let's do this._ Eragon replied, then turned around to see all the humans and dwarves staring at him, and the elves and Urgals looking at him expectantly, "What are you waiting for? Charge!" Eragon shouted. Jhonas nodded, drawing his sword and running forward, weapon raised. Eragon pulled down his visor, and drew Brisingr, staring at its glimmering blade.

* * *

Saphira, Jrake and Bindroen flew towards the five Lethrblaka, who were already being fended off by two dragons. Both, the dragons and the Lethrblaka, were huge. They were all larger than Saphira, the white dragon almost twice her size, which was a surprise for the younger dragons who had always seen Saphira as the largest dragon.

Saphira knew that the dragon in white scales was Bid'daum, although she didn't know who the black dragon was. The Lethrblaka were all almost as large as Bid'daum. Saphira found it difficult to understand where these creatures had come from. The Lethrblaka which she had faced, when she had been younger, had not even been half as large as these.

 _Ebrithil, shall we all take one and handle them?_ Jrake asked her, extremely enthusiastic.

 _Yes, that's exactly what we have to do . . . but first we have to free white-scale-large-wing-legend-Bid'daum and the other dragon._ Saphira told both her students. The two dragons had been surrounded by the Lethrblaka.

 _How shall we do that? Breathe fire from different directions?_ Bindroen suggested, but Saphira had a different idea.

 _I'll attack them from above, and you two take the ones at the sides . . ._ Saphira told them, and swerved above them, while Jrake pulled left and Bindroen right.

Saphira flapped high above the group of Lethrblaka, then ducked her head and turned down, becoming almost perpendicular to the ground. In less than a second she began to descend at a breakneck speed, wind whistling under her wings. She grinned, savoring the beautiful moment, then growled ferociously, talons stretched, and smashed against two Lethrblaka. In the next moment, Jrake and Bindroen emerged from the sides and pushed two Lethrblaka away, leaving behind just one of those leathery creatures.

The two dragons looked at Saphira in surprise, then at Jrake and Bindroen. But t hey returned to their sense and launched themselves at the single Lethrblaka. Bid'daum grabbed its neck in his jaws, while the black dragon slashed apart its back. Biting at its shoulder, the black dragon tore off one of its wings. The Lethrblaka was screeching extremely loud. Bid'daum burnt its neck apart with white fire, killing the creature.

Saphira corkscrewed between the two Lethrblaka, bashing both of them with her tail. She dived then as the Lethrblaka made to retaliate, dodging both their attacks. The black dragon emerged from above the slashed at one of the Lethrblaka, just as Saphira pulled out of the dive and flew towards the other Lethrblaka.

She lunged at it with her talons, and raked its back with slashes. The Lethrblaka screeched and turned around, swatting Saphira aside with its huge wings. Saphira lost her altitude, even though she wasn't hurt, and growled as she managed to balance herself in the air with her wings.

She looked around and saw Bid'daum handling one of the Lethrblaka, Jrake and Bindroen handling another one, the black dragon fending off two of them. Saphira flew towards him to attack one of the Lethrblaka.

She pulled her head back and breathed fire on the Lethrblaka, the same one who had hit her earlier. She set its wing on fire, making its screech in surprise and flap its wing hurriedly. But Saphira dived to the side and bashed her tail onto the creature's side, making fall away from the black dragon, who began attacking the second Lethrblaka after grinning and nodding at Saphira.

Saphira nodded back and dived after the Lethrblaka, but Bid'daum got to it first. He slashed apart the creature's belly with his talons, green metallic blood pouring out of the wound, and ended the creature's life by tearing off its neck with his front legs.

Saphira swerved around then, intending to help Jrake and Bindroen, but Bid'daum flew up in front of her and asked. _Well met, friend, but who are you?_

Saphira blinked slightly, she didn't know that Bid'daum had entered her mind, but she replied anyway. _Greetings Bid'daum, I am Saphira Brightscales of Alagaesia . . . the Rider of Eragon Kingslayer._ Saphira told him, recalling that Eragon the First had contacted Eragon in his dream and asked him to come to Alalea. Bid'daum would probably know about it.

 _Ah . . . good work, Saphira, we couldn't have asked for a better timing of your arrival . . . and I see you have brought an army with you. Eragon will be pleased, just as I am, to see you._ Bid'daum said.

Saphira nodded, but he suddenly flapped around and dived for the Lethrblaka attacking Bindroen. He knocked it aside with one blow from his front paw. The Lethrblaka fell to the side, and Jrake appeared from behind and bit its neck, tearing away a large chunk of it. The Lethrblaka shrieked in pain and threw Jrake away. But the black dragon swooped in from the side and rained fire over the wound, setting its flash and hide on fire.

Saphira finished the job with a quick slash from her talons that nearly cut off the Lethrblaka's neck. The creature's body flailed and fell to the ground, while Bid'daum came in front of Saphira. Saphira had a little euphoric feeling, she had found the first dragon to ever be bonded with another person.

* * *  
Eragon felt all his thoughts slip away, he let his animal instinct take over. Curling his hands into fists, he held Brisingr tightly and gave a cry of war, then sprinted forward as fast as he could. He felt his body pumping energy within him as he sped ahead of Jhonas's unit, and ahead of Jhonas himself.

The urgals were roaring and attacking the army with slings. The elves shooting arrows or working magic, but the humans and dwarves were wielding the best weapons: Voices and Insults. They were yelling all the utter gibberish and nonsense they could come up with, only for the sake of causing a distraction and surprising the enemy.

If the army ahead of them comprised mostly of dumb people, then they would probably think that there were thousands of men charging towards them, because this was the effect that the yelling of the men and dwarves created.

Eragon sprinted ahead of them, and to the other sides, Threandor, Zarkhroff and Ghrion were leading their own units into the battle. Ghrion's unit was also making a lot of noise, almost beating the amount made by Jhonas's.

The army in front of the city turned around, their dark-armored solders being ordered into places to reduce the force of impact as much as possible. Eragon cursed as he ran towards them, yelling, "Kill or be killed!" He jumped forward, leaping over several of the dark armored soldiers, and landing in between them.

Behind him, the dwarves in Jhonas's unit broke apart the incomplete defense of the army. From behind, many of the soldiers fell to the ground as arrows impaled them. Eragon swung Brisingr around in an arc, beheading a couple of them. But before any of the soldiers could react, he flipped back, joining Jhonas's unit.

Then he lunged forward with Brisingr, slashing apart a chest. Turning around, he blocked two scimitars with his sword and pushed them back. But he noticed something weird in the soldiers he was fighting. He noticed a beak, claws and jumped back, stunned, as he realized whom he had been dueling. Jhonas and the others in his unit jumped back as well, shocked.

This wasn't an army of men, it was an army of Ra'zac. Eragon stared at them, the Ra'zac were hurriedly retreating from them, pushing back their own brethren. Eragon knew that the humans and dwarves would have a hard time fighting them, while things might be better for the elves and urgals.

Jhonas was already issuing orders for the urgals to charge, and for the elves to follow them, but ahead of them, the lines of Ra'zac parted and Eragon watched in surprise as a figure in complete red armor walked towards him. Eragon pulled up his visor and eyed him cautiously, his animal instinct now replaced by reason.

 _This might be their leader . . . but it's a Ra'zac as well._ Eragon thought, then pulled his visor down again, holding Brisingr in front of him with both hands.

"I sssuppossse you are the one leading thessse . . . mongrelsss . . . who are you people?" The person asked him, and Eragon was sure that this was a Ra'zac, because it didn't have a helm, instead it worse a hood, as did all the other soldiers. And its accent was quite similar to that of a Ra'zac, although it did sound human in a horrible way.

"You shouldn't be concerned about that, I assure you . . . suffice it to say that I am a person who has answered a call for aid." Eragon replied,. Behind him, the Urgal and elves got into position, and Jhonas stood in front of them, eyeing Eragon and the leader of the Ra'zac.

"You mussst be the Rider . . . from that other land . . . you made a big mistake by coming here, Rider." The Ra'zac said.

"I am not here to listen to your filthy stuttering, Ra'zac, now either get out of our way and we can solve this peacefully . . . or we take other options." Eragon told him.

The leader seemingly stared at him, then looked at the other units cutting their way into his army, "Peace? . . .No . . . You die here!" He hissed and drew two curved, short swords. Eragon readied Brisingr just in time to block one of the swords as it came for his neck. He jumped back, dodging the other blade.

Behind him, Jhonas yelled, "Charge!"

The urgals roared as they sprinted forward headfirst, ramming their horns into the soldiers and throwing them high into the air. The elves emerged from behind, now taking the front line, slashing and parrying the blows from the Ra'zac. The humans and dwarves charged as well, slashing and cutting at the Ra'zac. The dark soldiers retreated hurriedly, trying to hold off the attack.

In between this fray, Eragon dueled the leader of the Ra'zac furiously. There was fire in him, and he yelled as he swung Brisingr around powerfully, striking the Ra'zac's curved blade. The blow was powerful enough to throw the leader back. Eragon then stooped and picked up a shield dropped by someone and charged again. The leader got up hurriedly, and back stepped, dodging Eragon's blows.

He retaliated by jumping forward, slashing in midair, but Eragon caught the blow on his shield and threw the leader back. The Ra'zac landed on the ground, but he jumped up again, hissing, "Filthy elf! Why can't you jussst die?!"

Eragon charged this time, stabbing with Brisingr. The Ra'zac blocked the blow with both his swords, locking Brisingr between them. Eragon cursed as he was unable to pull his sword back, then threw his shield at the leader as hard as he could. The Ra'zac clicked as it saw the blur moving towards it, and hit it squarely in the chest, throwing it back once more.

Eragon pulled Brisingr free, then jumped forward, yelling, "Now, you die!" Grabbing the sword with both his hands, he pierced it into the Ra'zac's throat, drawing greenish, copper colored blood. The Ra'zac gulped and fell back, but Eragon stood up hurriedly, walking over the dead leader. He didn't look back, but took a look around to see that he and the leader had been the only ones left in the place. Jhonas and his unit had pushed the Ra'zac towards the city, away from where he was standing, and the same had been done by the other units. Now, Eragon stared with satisfaction as the four units moved forward, killing Ra'zac swiftly.

But suddenly, there was a hiss from behind, and something banged the back of his head hard, making lights pop up in front of his eyes. He hurriedly staggered forward, dropping Brisingr as he hurriedly pulled off his helm and looking around. To his immense shock, the leader of the Ra'zac was standing, his neck bleeding, but his chest glistening with a bright red light.

"What?!" Eragon blabbered as the back of his head throbbed. The Ra'zac's hood had fallen off, and he could see its face. The beak was quite long, longer than that of the Ra'zac that Eragon had faced long ago at Helgrind, and it was scarlet in color.

"Did you really . . . think it would be . . . ssso easssy?" The Ra'zac asked him. He didn't have those two shortswords now; instead he was holding a longsword, which he had probably picked from the ground. He hissed and charged forward, swinging the sword around powerfully. Eragon ducked under the blow, but the Ra'zac kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and making him cough in pain. A fist rammed his forehead, making him fly to the side and land on the ground a yard away.

"W-What are you?" Eragon yelled at him, moving back hurriedly.

"I am a . . . a . . . a Ra'zac! But a different one . . ." The Ra'zac replied hesitantly, looking at himself.

Eragon stared at him, confused. _Why would he have doubts about what he is?_ Eragon thought, then stood up, pulling his helm on and removing the gauntlet from his right hand, while the Ra'zac stared at him. Eragon looked up at him, then pointed his palm at him and shouted, "Istlari!"

Blue flames burst out of his palm and flew at the Ra'zac, but the Ra'zac raised its own hand and grabbed the flames midair. The sapphire flames went blood red instantly, and the Ra'zac threw them back at him, hissing. Eragon dodged them by jumping to the side, and saw it explode when they hit the ground, making a large ditch.

Eragon stared at the Ra'zac, utterly flabbergasted, then raised his palm once more, muttering words in the Ancient language. Brisingr flew towards him, and he caught it, then turned to the Ra'zac. It was laughing at him, "Rider, you ssshall die!"

"Come on!" Eragon shouted at him, and the Ra'zac stopped laughing, clicking as it saw him wielding the sword again. And it charged. Eragon held Brisingr with both his hands, getting ready. His head was aching, and his wits had been knocked out of him by the Ra'zac coming back to life.

 _If he can get back up, then . . . can the others get up as well?_ Eragon thought, worried. He hurriedly looked around, and was relieved to see that none of the other Ra'zac had returned from the dead. Then he turned back to his opponent, and the glimmering chest caught his attention. _What is that? It looks like a . . . like a gem, in a locket._

But he couldn't think anymore on it as he blocked a blow from the Ra'zac. But to his immense surprise, the Ra'zac was more powerful than before, and it managed to push him slightly, before he swung his sword around and retaliated with a lightning fast jab. The Ra'zac parried the blow, but Eragon jumped back hurriedly, dodging the slash that came in reply.

He charged forward again, and instead of attacking, he flipped over the Ra'zac, dodging a swing. He ended up behind the Ra'zac. He turned around, raising his sword, but the Ra'zac kicked back, hitting Eragon squarely in the chest, making him fly back and land on the ground several yards away.

"Blast you!" Eragon bellowed as he got up, rage beginning to boil in him. _His chest is going to be stabbed this time, mark my words!_ Eragon thought furiously. Then he sprinted forwards, sword raised. The Ra'zac held its sword ready and swung it at him, but Eragon skidded down, one knee bent, and kicked the Ra'zac in the leg, making it fall to the ground.

Eragon then rolled back and leapt to his feet, and kicked the Ra'zac's sword away, staring at the creature, "I think this might just finish you off for good." Eragon said, then grabbed the Ra'zac with his left hand and threw him away. The Ra'zac hit the ground and rolled several yards before coming to a halt.

Moving swiftly, Eragon ran forward and groped his sword into the Ra'zac's glistening chest until it poked out from the creature's back. Eragon exhaled with relief then, drawing his sword out and retreating hurriedly. But he didn't take his eyes of the Ra'zac this time. It seemed that his idea had worked though, because the Ra'zac looked down, then looked up at him, and fell to the ground instantly, the light on its chest now extinguished.

Eragon pulled off his helm, and held it in his left hand, wondering what had been glistening on the Ra'zac's chest. He walked forward, sword held ready, and got close to the dead Ra'zac. There was a locket hanging on its neck, and the gem was still intact. Eragon stared at it, then jumped back as it began glistening again. Eragon stared at it, trepidation growing in him.

 _Why is it glowing?_ Eragon thought to himself, then yelled as the Ra'zac opened its eyes and stood up, a hole visible through its chest.

"Rider!" It said, but its beak didn't even seem to open. "You will pay for that!"

Eragon backed away hurriedly, his eyes wide and Brisingr held ready, "Again? How is this possible? How can you come back to life even after dying twice?"  
"I have not come back to life, you fool! No . . . I have been brought into a body . . ." the Ra'zac said, getting to its feet. "And I will dessstroy you, your dragon . . . and your mate! Both of them shall beg for death before I kill them!"  
Eragon stared at the Ra'zac, unable to believe what he was seeing, "This isn't necromancy, it isn't even magic, nobody said anything to make this happen."

"Oh, but I did . . . the Ra'zac is dead, and I have taken control of his body now . . ." The Ra'zac said, making Eragon shake his head. But suddenly, something clicked in his mind as he saw the locket hanging on the Ra'zac's neck, red light pouring out of it.

 _The gem! The gem must be destroyed! That must be how this person, whoever he is, is controlling the Ra'zac._ Eragon realized, then hurriedly charged forwards, raising Brisingr.

The Ra'zac pulled out a dagger from somewhere, and parried the blow, then jabbed back, but Eragon swerved to the side and swung Brisingr around as fast as he could. The sword sliced through the air and cut off the Ra'zac's head. The locket flew out from its neck in a haze of blood. Eragon pointed his palm at it and said, "Jierda!"

The gem on the locket broke into several minuscule pieces, and fell to the ground, as did the Ra'zac's body and head. Eragon stared at them both, then sighed and sheathed his sword, relieved. The Ra'zac was dead for sure now.

 _Now that really was something I didn't expect in the least . . . how goes it, Saphira?_ Eragon asked her, looking around.

 _Saphira?_ Eragon asked, entering her conscience.  
 _Eragon! Sorry, I didn't . . . realize you were saying something._ Saphira said suddenly, her voice jumpy.

 _Are you alright?_ Eragon asked, concerned. She usually wasn't like this.

 _Are you alright, Eragon?_ She asked back.

 _I am fine, and that Ra'zac was one big surprise . . . right, come on, I need to meet my namesake . . . did you talk to Bid'daum?_ Eragon said, picking up his helm from where he had dropped it, and holding it under his left hand.

 _Yes, he is taking me to Eragon the First right now . . . He is actually amazed to see that we responded so quickly, but he also thinks that this was the perfect time as well . . . they would have lost for sure if we wouldn't have arrived when we did._ Saphira told him.

Eragon walked towards the city of Ellrion, the battle won, the remaining Ra'zac being killed as he went. But as he strode forward, he couldn't help but notice the dead bodies of humans, elves, dwarves and urgals, here and there among the hundreds of corpses of Ra'zac. This came as a shock to him, although he had foreseen that some people would be killed, he didn't think the number would be this high.

But, they had accomplished what they had set out to do. They had found Eragon the First, had helped him survive the battle. Now, all that remained was to meet him and to find out the purpose of this whole voyage.


	67. Chapter 66

**Chapter 66: Eragon the First**

Eragon stood in front of the city of Ellrion, his helm under his arm, a small smile on his face. The city was little damaged, but one of the most beautiful cities he had ever seen. The surroundings just added to the magnificence of the scene.

But he turned around as he heard the scuffle of wings. Suddenly, the ground shook tremendously, and there was a loud 'thud'. Eragon hurriedly searched for the source, and saw Bindroen lying on the ground, her jaw open and tongue darting out, heaving.

 _What happened?_ Eragon asked Saphira, running towards the young dragon. Bindroen keened in pain and convulsed slightly, darting her neck outwards.

 _I don't know . . . She was fine some time ago._ Saphira replied, landing next to Bindroen. She reached towards her, sniffing. Eragon reached her quickly, just as Jrake also landed next to the Saphira. Jeffronr ran towards Bindroen and hurried towards her neck. Eragon followed him, and saw a huge gash there, blood oozing out of it steadily.

 _It's quite deep, why didn't she say anything about it earlier?_ Saphira thought, growling in worry as she saw the injury. Jeffron's face was red and tensed, and he seemed to be panicking. _She was probably hurt when she was fending off that Lethrblaka on her own._

"Jeffron, calm down." Eragon said hurriedly, holding the elf's shoulder tightly and pulling him back. "She is going to be alright, just give me a moment . . . She probably can't understand what I am saying right now, so you will have to tell her to lay still and relax . . . do you hear me?"

Jeffron nodded, pain and worry evident on his face. Eragon turned and walked towards the dragon's neck, placing his helm on the ground. He placed his hand on the hard scales, just above the injury. Bindroen shivered slightly.

 _Its deep, yes, but only the muscles and tendons have been ripped off . . . she will be fine in a couple of minutes._ Eragon said, pointing his palm at the bloody wound. Then, he spoke the same spell which he had used to heal Saphira's injury from Glaedr, so long ago.

Again, he watched the injury knot and heal itself back together. To the side, Jeffron itched his own neck, while Bindroen moved from side to side.

"I know its annoying, Bindroen, and you will be able to scratch it as much as you want after a moment." Eragon told her. The dragon growled in reply, shaking her head from side, then looked at her Rider. Jeffron just smiled and rubbed her face reassuringly.

Eragon took a step back, now looking at the healed wound. Bindroen got to her feet then, flexing her neck from side to side. She nodded, and thanked him mentally. Eragon just rubbed her neck and turned to Saphira.

Behind her, there were two extremely huge dragons. One was white, while the other was black. Eragon walked towards them, the others behind him. The white dragon raised its head, staring at him, while the black one gazed at the city, searching for something.

 _Greetings Rider, you must be Eragon . . . Rider of Saphira Brightscales, aye?_ The dragon asked him mentally.

"I am, and you must be Bid'daum, partner of Eragon the First." Eragon replied, smiling.

 _True, I am the partner of Eragon . . . although, I don't recall him being called 'The First' before._ Bid'daum said. Eragon stared at him, for a moment almost lost in the vast limits of the dragon's mind. But Bid'daum didn't seem to have noticed. The dragon's conscience was extremely huge, almost as large as Eragon's. And his voice was powerful, filled with strength born of centuries of battles and experience. Although, he did lack the vigor that most of the younger dragons possessed. Bid'daum was probably too old for such excitement.

"Well, there have been some more people named 'Eragon' in Alagaesia . . . me being one of them." Eragon told him.

 _I suppose you want to meet my Rider? . . .Follow me._ Bid'daum said, stretching his huge wings.

Eragon nodded, heading towards Saphira. He leapt to her back, and took his seat on the saddle, grabbing the neck spike. Saphira growled, and he patted her, telling her mentally that he was alright.

 _So, Eragon, how is Alagaesia?_ Bid'daum asked him once they were in the air. It has been too long since we had any news about our homes.

"It is . . . well, not as good as it was when you left, but it is improving steadily. There is peace there now, but I think something has stirred in the north . . . which is why one Rider and dragon, who had come with us, had to return." Eragon replied, not mentioning that it was his own mate whom he had teleported.

 _I see . . . but what happened to . . . what his name? I forget his name, but he was the Lead Rider when we left._ Bid'daum said.

"Vrael?" Eragon suggested.

 _Yes, Vrael . . . What happened to him?_ Bid'daum asked.

"It's a very long story . . . I think, I should explain when we meet Eragon . . . Many things have happened in Alagaesia in the past centuries . . . and not all of them have been good." Eragon said. The dragon turned to look at him, although he was ahead of Eragon and Saphira.

 _Fine then . . . Eragon is down there, near the outer walls . . . I can't land there, there isn't enough place._ Bid'daum told him, diving suddenly. The black dragon followed him, as did Saphira and the others.

 _Well, he isn't the way I expected him to be . . ._ Eragon muttered to Saphira, talking about Bid'daum. _I thought he would be mystical and, you know, the way most old people are._

Saphira just laughed. _If Bid'daum is like this, then what will Eragon the First be like?_

 _I sure would like to find out._ Eragon muttered.

They were diving towards the city, which, from their elevated position, seemed like a beautifully designed and constructed city. Made of grey stone, it went well with the surrounding regions, especially the mountains and snow clad peaks. The city had layers, as in, there were walls within the city as well, dividing one part of it from the others. The far end of the city, which joint the mountain at the base of which it was placed, was heavily fortified. That was probably where the king or queen stayed.

"Bid'daum, is there a king in Alalea?" Eragon asked him, curious.

 _Aye Eragon, but my Rider will be able to explain this more properly than me . . . there he is . . . I will land on the other side of the wall. There is space for me there._ Bid'daum said, swerving to the side.

Saphira landed behind the outer walls, in front of a unit of elven warriors, being led by elf in pure, glistening white armor. Eragon got off Saphira, and walked towards him, staring at him. The elf stared back at him, his face lighting and a smile replacing the earlier grim expression. Eragon moved towards him, a smile coming to his own face as he thought about how they would address each other. He already seemed to know who Eragon was.

"Greetings, Eragon." He said, walking forward and extending a hand.

"Greetings, Eragon." Eragon replied, then looked at his outstretched hand in surprise, taken off-guard by this sudden gesture which was mostly common in humans. He looked at the elf's face, who had a warm smile on his face. He accepted the hand, shaking it.

Eragon the First didn't look very old, except by judging his eyes. His skin was slightly wrinkled near the eyes, which were lightning blue in colour. He was extremely fair, like most elves, and his hair were silver in color, probably from the several years of living. He had broad shoulders but a calm attitude.

"And this must be your partner," Eragon the First said. His voice was strong and enthusiastic, not at all what one would expect from a person as old as him. Eragon was rather surprised by the way in which Eragon the First, who was supposed to be more than a millennium old, and Bid'daum were behaving as if they were just a few hundred year old.

 _There is something curious about this . . . and I am going to find out what._ Eragon thought. He had always expected Eragon the First to be an old man, much like Heslant and Tenga, or someone who spoke with a thick voice and walked slowly. But no, Eragon the First was walking around with extreme energy, talking to Saphira with enthusiasm and cheer.

"Well met, Saphira . . . it seems Alagaesia is not as deprived of beautiful dragons as we once thought, eh Bid'daum?" Eragon the First said. There was a loud growl from outside.

Eragon the First then turned to the other dragons and Riders, smiling at them as well. He shook both their hands, and they introduced themselves to him. Eragon was pleased at the fact that they were both calm and relaxed, and not excited as most Riders would have been if they would have come along with him.

Eragon the First then turned back to Eragon, stretching his hands to the sides. "I am pleased to see that you took my message with importance, as I hoped. If you would have not shown up today, all of us would be dead by now . . . At other times, we would organize a feast, but unfortunately right now, we must hurry. We have precious little time."

Eragon walked towards him, "I don't understand."

"Eragon, but things are direr than earlier . . . Crugan has extended his arm all the way here, which means that he has already made a move we didn't expect . . . we must be quick." Eragon the First said.

Eragon scratched his head, "You mean we have to head for war immediately?"

"Yes. We have to attack the capital, which Crugan has seized. It is easy enough to say this, but it is going to be extremely difficult." Eragon the First told him, looking around.

"We have to go right now?" Eragon asked him again, surprised. They had been travelling for a long time, and after the battle, he was sure that all his men were exhausted. He himself was looking forward to sleeping on a bed which didn't rock back and forth all the time.

"No, not now . . . tomorrow. I sent most of my soldiers, along with my apprentice, to fight the army which attacked the city. It seems that my forces were tricked in some way, or the Ra'zac managed to sneak their way here . . . I do not know, but they should return by tomorrow. So, we wait until they return, then join forces and head for the capital."

"Where is the capital?" Eragon asked, curious.

"It's in the main land, on the other side of those huge mountains that you must have seen . . . Probably a journey of a few days." Eragon the First said.

"Few days?" Eragon said, surprised. Those mountains looked like they would take weeks to cross.

"Yes, because we are not going over those mountains, we are going under them . . . which makes things easier for us. Weeks of travelling reduced to days . . . but we just have to get used to the darkness." He replied. "Now, I think we better head for the castle, where you can rest and relax . . . I am sure you have many questions, Eragon, but I am afraid they will have to wait until evening."

Eragon nodded then, recognizing the dismissal, and walked towards Saphira.

 _Well . . . He isn't what I expected him to be either._ Eragon thought.

 _He is not at all what I expected._ Saphira replied.

Freohr grinned, standing on the shores of the sea, looking at the mountains of the Spine. He was far north from Tierm now, with his army in five huge ships following. Two of the ships had come ashore, and men were filing out of them, coming towards Freohr in lines.

What pathetic excuses for mountains . . . if they want to see mountains, they should come to Alalea.

Freohr then turned to the left, staring at the small city far ahead. It was Narda, a small, port city. Freohr hissed with distaste, wishing nothing more than to run towards the city and attack with all his power. And that was exactly what he was going to do.

It had been decided earlier, when he had gone to discuss plans with his master, and the others. Crugan seemed to be pleased with Zar'rac's work the most, because he had managed to capture two elven cities so far, and empty them of elves. One of them was the capital. Orúm was launching an attack on Tronjheim, and Froehr, who was heading the capital of humans.

 _"Freohr, if you attack Carvahall, they will have reinforcements from all the nearby cities . . . although, your attack should be quick and clean, we can't risk someone attacking you from behind. The easiest way to do this would be to remove the small mark of Narda from the map . . . what say you?" His master had asked._

 _"Aye, master it shall be done." Freohr had replied._

And that was exactly what he was going to do. He turned around to see the captains of the ships walking towards him with the other men behind of the unit behind them. He turned to face them, his expression serious.

"Good work, captains." Freohr said as the five men stood in front of him. Behind them, the huge army stood according to their units, stretching across the shores. It was one large army, and completely full of humans. But this was just the half of the force. A quarter was under Orúm, and the remaining was under Crugan himself.

"Now, we march to battle . . . you hear that? Battle awaits!" Freohr shouted. A chorus of yells and bellows followed from the army as men raised their weapons to the skies. "And today, we prove to them what they have brought upon themselves . . . let us make a quick job of these lifeless leeches and teach them their place! Are you with me?"

There was a huge reply of yes, "Yes!" Freohr smirked. He knew that half of the men had not even heard what he was saying, and were just yelling because everyone around them was. But he didn't mind it; most of them were going to die in battle anyway.

"Well, then let's do this! Today, we don't rest until we have conquered Narda!" Freohr finished, drawing his sword and holding it high. The men raised their own weapons once again, holding them high in response. "Charge!"

"So, Eragon, how is Alagaesia?" Eragon the First asked. Eragon hurriedly chewed and swallowed, and looked up. They were having dinner, quite a simple one, at a small table. Eragon, Eragon the First, Sianelle and Jeffron were there.

"Well, some things happened there after you left . . . the past couple of centuries have been quite difficult for us . . . when we left, it was quite safe and stable, but something has happened in the north, which needed the attention of the Riders." Eragon said, then took another mouthful of his meal.

"What happened? . . . After I left, I mean." Eragon the First asked, curious.

"There were many problems among the Riders, especially between the human and elven Riders . . . it was a stiff competition, because the elves considered humans, well . . . weak and inferior." Sianelle replied, rubbing her hands together. She was done with her own food.

"I thought Vrael would be more than capable enough to handle such things." Eragon the First said, surprised.

"He was . . . but someone else suddenly rose up, and changed the entire story before it even began." Jeffron put in. "There was a human Rider, called Galbatorix, who . . . went rogue."

"What?" Eragon the First exclaimed. "A rogue Rider? . . . Why would he go rogue, what was he dissatisfied with?"

"He lost his dragon in a battle against Urgals . . . and two of his close friends as well." Sianelle answered. "So he demanded another dragon at the council, which was denied. So, he went mad . . . he already was half mad, because he had to cross half the length of the spine on his own before the Riders found him."

"And then what?" Eragon the First asked eagerly.

"He was, as she mentioned, mad. So, he blamed the Riders for the loss of his dragon, I don't know how or why." Jeffron told him. "He killed another Rider, and took his dragon for himself, before the dragon could mark the Rider's hand with the Gedwëy Ignasia. He used some sort of dark magic, which he learnt from a shade to bind his mind with that dragon's . . . and waited for his dragon to grow. The dragon was called 'Shruikan', I think."

"But how did he kill the Rider? How was he let inside the city?" Eragon the First asked him then.

Sianelle answered him then, "He convinced another Rider, a proper Rider, named Morzan, to help him. He left a way open for Galbatorix to come in, and then all this happened."

"Yes, and soon after, he got the support of twelve more Riders, all of whom desired power and wanted to rule Alagaesia. Those twelve, along with Morzan, became the thirteen Forsworn." Jeffron continued. "They managed to kill all the Riders and their dragons, one by one . . . and finally managed to kill Vrael himself, along with his dragon."

Eragon the First just stared at him then, astonished that Jeffron was able to say this so simply. "This happened two hundred years ago." Jeffron finished.

"And after that, nearly a hundred years of suffering followed, because after the death of the Riders, Galbatorix attacked the Broddring kingdom, overthrew the king, and declared himself the ruler of Alagaesia." Sianelle started.

Eragon the First turned to Eragon, who was watching and listening. He nodded at Sianelle, then said, "My father, Brom, and Morzan, had been apprentices to the same master . . . Oromis. All three of them had survived the Fall, that is, the fall of the Riders." Eragon paused to take gulp of water. "The dragon race was nearly extinct . . . only two living dragons remained, and three more in their eggs . . . out of these five dragons, only one dragon was female, and she was still in her egg . . . These eggs were Rider eggs, so they could only hatch for the right person."

Eragon the First seemed to be extremely interested in the story now. "I see . . . so the only way to get the dragons back was to make this egg hatch for someone, and have the dragon mate with another of the surviving dragons . . . so what happened?"

Eragon smiled , "Well, it's a long story . . . Brom, my father, also lost his dragon in the Fall, but he retained his sense, and formed a secret society of rebels, called the Varden." Eragon said, then continued for a long time, explaining how Brom defeated Morzan, took the dragon egg and took it to the Varden. He also explained about Arya, how she moved back and forth from Ellesmera to the Varden, ferrying the egg, hoping it would hatch for someone.

"But one night, she and her companions were ambushed . . . by a shade named Durza." Eragon said, then paused to breath. A look of extreme surprise from the Eragon the First's face, but he remained silent. Eragon continued, "But, Arya managed to teleport the egg towards Brom, who was in a small village called Carvahall . . . but she had never seen Brom, she only knew his description . . . so instead of the egg going to him, it came to me . . . and the egg hatched for me, making me the dragon's Rider."  
Eragon the First looked around, astounded, towards Saphira, who was sitting outside, "You mean, she . . . ?"

"Yes, she is the one who saved the race from extinction . . . anyway, my father was in the same village, keeping an eye on me, but I didn't know that he was my father . . . I used to live with my uncle and cousin. But, we were visited by the Ra'zac, but I was . . . too late to save my uncle, they killed him and destroyed our home." Eragon said, still staring at Saphira, who seemed to be explaining something to Jrake and Bindroen.

"You look like an elf. But you speak as if you were a human." Eragon the First said.

"I was a human at birth . . . I'll come to that. After my uncle's death . . ." Eragon continued talking for another hour, explaining all his adventures till the death of Galbatorix and resetting up of the Riders at Vroengard. Eragon the First listened quietly, asking questions now and again. Jeffron and Sianelle listened with extreme interest as Eragon narrated the tail of the re-emergence of the Riders.

"And now, a hundred years have passed, and Alagaesia is back to as it had been during the time of the Old Order . . . at least, that's what I think." Eragon finished, sitting back on his chair.

Eragon the First stared at him for a long time, then turned to the other two Riders and said, "Looks like your life has been full of adventures . . . but I have to ask, you said Arya is your mate, yes?" Eragon nodded. "Well, I thought she and her partner would come with you."

Eragon sighed. "They were with us, but when we scried our son, who is in Ellesmera, we saw that the city is under attack by some unknown force. I . . . teleported Arya and Valinor back to Ellesmera, at her own request."

"Did she contact you then? Do you know who these attackers are?" Eragon the First asked him. He seemed eager to know.

"Yes, I forgot to mention it." Eragon replied. "It seems that one of the elves of the council, an elf named Enaevia, has betrayed us. And the invaders are an army or Ra'zac, led by some Shade . . . his name is Zar'rac." Eragon finished, and saw downright shock on Eragon the First's face.

"Zar'rac?" He asked, as if to confirm. There was almost trepidation in his eye.

"Yes . . . why?"

"Because Zar'rac is Crugan's right hand man, or shade . . . and this also means that Crugan is trying to return to Alagaesia. We have to stop him." Eragon the First said, getting to his feet. "Crugan is moving faster than I thought, we will do the rest of the talking and explaining tomorrow, I have a lot to tell all three of you. But right now, we must prepare ourselves for the long journey ahead."

"Journey?" Jeffron asked.

"Yes, we have to make our way back to the mainland, through those mountains, and attack the city of Ureimes, the capital of elves . . ." Eragon the First said. "I'll explain everything tomorrow morning, but you all better get some rest . . . we leave as soon as dawn comes."


	68. Chapter 67

_Chapter 67: Trepidations_

It was night time, and Deaother had just finished talking to Murtagh. He stood up from the small pool of water that he had made so that he could contact his uncle, then turned around to see Vaelia sitting near the magic waters, staring into their depths.

Worian was on the other side of the cave, fiddling with a couple of stones. Deaother stared at him for a while, then headed towards Vaelia.

 _I wonder what those waters show her . . . they show me my future. What about her?_ Do they show her the same . . . Deaother wondered as he kept walking towards her.

Vaelia must have heard his footsteps, because she jumped and got to her feet hurriedly, staring at him. "Yes, D-Deaother?"

Deaother gazed at her eyes, and noticed that they were red, as was her face. Her eyes seemed to be slightly swollen, and she looked like she was trying to cover it up by smiling at him. It was a weak attempt.

 _She wasn't looking into the waters, she was crying._ Deaother thought, then hurried forward, wondering what had happened.

"What's wrong? . . . Why were you crying?" Deaother asked her frankly, standing in front of her.

She sniffed and turned away, rubbing her eyes as she did. "I . . .It . . ." She stammered for a while, and Deaother understood that she was trying to lie to him, but the Ancient Language was not allowing her.

"Don't try to hide it . . . Come, you can tell me what's bothering you." Deaother said, moving closer to her.

Vaelia kept her back to him, but she slowly sank to her knees, her head bowed, and as she did, Deaother realized that something was truly wrong. He stood behind her, staring at her as she kneeled in front of him, with her back to him, and stared at the ground, her shoulders trembling ever so slightly.

"Deaother . . . I-I have lost my f-father . . . have I n-not?" Vaelia stuttered suddenly.

As soon as he heard her, the revelation struck him, as did guilt about not being able to understand her sooner. And slowly, sympathy and concern for her grew in him, and he crossed his arms and stared at her, unable to say anything.

"I j-just can't g-get over the feeling . . .I-I . . . I have l-lost both my p-parents, Deaother!" Vaelia cried, and she seemed to have lost all her control now.

A moment of silence passed, then she began crying, harder by each passing moment, her pained moans lashing Deaother's mind like whips. The feeling was completely alien to Deaother, who had lived in a world of happiness. The sudden ingress of grief and anguish in his world had been completely unanticipated. He had felt this way only once, in his childhood, when Roran had departed, but now the emotions had been forgotten by his mind because he had accepted aging as a natural process, but something he was immune to, to some extent anyway.

 _I . . . I can't bear this anymore, I must do something to help her._ Deaother thought, looking around frantically. He chanced a look at Worian, who was now lying down and looking the other way. He didn't want to do anything if he was watching, but it seemed that Worian wouldn't notice Deaother's attempt to pacify her.

Then, gathering his courage, he went closer to Vaelia, and grabber her hand in both of his own, her cold fingers gently held by his warm ones. She stuttered and clutched his hand tightly, her fingers shivering. He was sure that she had chanced a glance at him, but had turned around as soon as he had noticed.

"I know how it feels, Vaelia . . . I do . . . But-" Deaother tried to continue but Vaelia interrupted him, now suddenly trying to free her hand from him.

"No, Deaother . . . You don't know, you have known both your parents since your birth, I lost my mother as soon as I was born . . . My father loved me so much, and I him . . . We were never supposed to be apart . . . but now he has gone . . . he has left me here, all alone . . . and there is-"

"You are not alone, I am with you . . ." Deaother said, holding her hand even more tightly. Vaelia shook her head, and Deaother could see tears sliding down her eyes, like molten silver.

"I-I can't . . . I can't force m-myself onto a-anyone Deaother . . . I-I don't w-want to b-burden-"

"Don't say such things, you aren't forcing yourself onto anyone." Deaother said, and slowly came closer to her and settled down to one knee next to her, still holding her hand. Vaelia looked up, staring at him for a while, then looked down at their clasped hands. Slowly, she placed her other hand on top of his, and held it tightly.

"Y-You are sure?" Vaelia asked him, and he nodded, smiling slightly. "B-But that still doesn't change a-anything . . . H-He is dead and gone . . . And . . . And t-there's nothing, absolutely n-nothing, that I c-can do t-to bring him back."

She bowed her head again, and Deaother saw her tears falling to the ground, and he felt his heart sink along with them.

 _I can't let her suffer like this . . . I can't see the person I love in such pain . . . No, I don't care what she will think about it later on, but I am going to stop this right now._ Deaother thought to himself, and gently let go of her hands. Her fingers slid away from his, and they fell to the ground to support her as she herself fell forward, sobbing quietly.

Deaother then reached forward and grabber her shoulders, while she cried, and slowly pulled her to her feet along with him as he stood.

"Vaelia . . . hey . . . come here." Deaother muttered, and pulled her close to him. Suddenly, her silent sobs vanished, and were replaced by extremely loud moans of sorrow as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and rested her head on his shoulder, her forehead rubbing against his neck, her tears falling onto his shirt.

"Its fine . . . it's going to be alright . . . We will get the people who did this to him, I promise." Deaother muttered, embracing her gently, lending her his warmth and shoulder so that she could let out all her sorrow.

She was saying something, but amidst all her sobs, Deaother couldn't understand a word, so he just kept patting her back slowly whenever she said something. It sounded like apologies, but Deaother didn't say anything.

A few minutes passed, and Deaother kept on holding her, until he noticed a small cough from the side. He looked around, not letting go of Vaelia, who was much quieter now, but still sobbing, and saw Worian staring at Vaelia, his hands folded and a skeptical yet stern look on his face, as if he couldn't believe what Deaother was doing, and that his suspicions were true after all.

"What are you doing?" He asked Deaother sharply, his eyebrow raised. Deaother stammered before he managed to reply, heat rushing to his face.

"I . . . she . . . I was just comforting her . . . she has lost her father, Worian." Deaother said, now brushing the back of her head with his hand.

"So have I . . . would you mind comforting me as well?" Worian asked him in a mocking tone, his eyes narrow. Deaother gave a uncertain laugh, unsure whether Worian was being sarcastic or whether he was joking. "You're joking, aren't you?"

"Deaother, both our fathers sacrificed themselves to save me and Vaelia . . . and you." Worian said, and Deaother flinched at his words.

"What are you saying Worian?" Deaother asked him, but suddenly Vaelia looked up at him with ear streaked, red eyes, and slowly slid out of his embrace, and away from him and Worian, towards the right. Deaother eyed her nervously, wondering if she had felt offended that he had hugged her, but shook the thought away and turned to Worian, who was now glaring at him.

"Stop being an idiot, Deaother, what I am saying is that we cannot let their sacrifice be worthless, we have to get out of here." Worian said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, we do, but Solembum said that-"

"Who?" Worian asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The werecat, his name is Solembum and he's a friend of mine . . ." Deaother added, irritated. "He said that we must stay here till morning, then head for Osilon . . . but for that, we will have to go past Ellesmera . . . That will be the most dangerous thing to do, I think." Deaother told him.

"Deaother . . ." Vaelia said suddenly, and both of them turned to her.

"Yes?" Deaother asked.

"I . . . I want to give my father a funeral . . . I . . . We need to get his body back." Vaelia said, staring at him.

Deaother stared at her, suddenly unsure of what to say. If he said yes, he would be risking all their lives, and if he said no . . . well, he would distance himself from Vaelia, something that he didn't want to do.

But Worian seemed to have come to a conclusion before him, "Are you mad?"

Vaelia turned to him, "Is it such a bad thing for a daughter to want the body of her father back?"  
"Not usually, but it is when his body is in the middle of a city which is currently being held by people who want to kill us." Worian said, and Deaother stared at him, then decided to break up the fight.

"Calm down, both of you . . . For now, I think its best if we-"

"One moment Deaother . . . " Vaelia said suddenly, holding up her hand, then taking a step towards Worian. "Listen to me . . . It is your choice, whether you are going to help me or not, but I am going to give my father the respect he deserves . . . after Galbatorix's downfall, it was he who guided us through the difficult time of regeneration, it was he who gave an example to all the elves . . . and I will not let his body lie among those who wished him ill."

Worian's face hardened at her words, and he took a step forward as well, as if he wanted to make a point. "Now you listen, my father is also there, among the dead, and he is also lying there . . ." Worian said, and Vaelia's face grew red. Deaother eyed her warily, it seemed like her temper was beginning to flare, which was not at all a good sign.

 _If he goes on talking, then we are going to have bigger problems than the Ra'zac._ Deaother thought, then turned back to Worian.

". . . but he is lying there, so that the three of us can get out of here, and get to Osilon. So, I would rather have that their sacrifices would not go in vain, and-"

"If you want to run to Osilon like a coward then go," Vaelia shouted suddenly, her voice shrill and angry. "Run all the way you want, just like you did from Nadindel! But I am not going to stay in this rabbit hole! I am going to get my father back!"

With that said, she turned around and stormed away from them, towards the exit. "Vaelia! No, don't-" Deaother began, but Vaelia didn't let him continue.

"Be silent, Deaother." She said furiously, turning around and pointing a finger at him, stopping him instantly. "You haven't done anything wrong, so don't make me shout at you as well."

 _Galbatorix's scrawny nose!_ Deaother thought, stunned by her words. _Looks like Worian really struck a nerve . . ._

"Vaelia, is this how you-" Worian also began to say, but Vaelia cut him off as well, walking away from both of them.

"Don't tell me what to do, Worian, for your own good." She cut in.

That silenced him, and he turned to Deaother with an exasperated look. Deaother shrugged and hurried after Vaelia.

"Now, what are you doing?" Worian asked him, incensed.

"What I am supposed to do . . ." Deaother replied.

Zar'rac fingered a knife, twirling from one side to other with his fingers.

"General? You have slain the king. But now what?" A Ra'zac said suddenly, and he turned to him, smirking.

"Now I destroy what he has set as his reminder." Zar'rac told him, then sheathed the knife, on his left shoulder.

"I didn't understand." The Ra'zac replied, uncertain.

"I want to destroy his legacy as well . . . and by legacy, I mean his family . . . I want to kill his daughter." Zar'rac said, stooping and picking up the king's sword. Twirling it, so that the tip was facing down, he pushed it into the earth, making it stand firm next to its fallen wielder.

"But why? Why don't we just march to another city and kill them all?" The Ra'zac asked.

" . . . Because his daughter can unite all the elves, and they might be able to stop us . . . even if they don't, we will be too weak to help master. We will be useless." Zar'rac replied, then gestured at him to walk.

They were in the Tialdari hall, which was now seemingly deserted. "But how will you get her? She must have escaped to some far off place." The Ra'zac pressed, making Zar'rac sneer.

"Oh no . . . the best thing is that she won't go away, she will come back, as fast as possible, for her father's body, and she see him lying here, with his sword next to him, and she will think that we have moved on ahead . . . right then, you and your Ra'zac will come from behind and . . .take her!" Zar'rac said, a devilish gleam in his eye.

"Take her?"

Zar'rac nodded, "I will kill her a few days later . . . after she has served her purpose . . . now get to the darkness, and quick, she will be here any minute, and I want her to think that this place is deserted." Zar'rac said, taking a quick look around.

Little did the princess know that there were twenty Ra'zac waiting for her there.

"Vaelia! Stop!" Deaother shouted, climbing out from the hole at the base of the tree, from where he had entered the caves to the magic waters so many days ago. It seemed a different world now.

When he didn't get a reply, he hastily pulled himself out, but fell directly to the ground, face forward. He got up, sputtering, then looked around for Vaelia. He knew where she was going to go, she was going to make her way back to the Tialdari Hall, and he was going to get to her first, and stop her.

 _How does she think she will get there, the place must be crawling with Ra'zac._ Deaother thought as he sprinted forward.

But he knew that Vaelia wouldn't think about this, torn down as she was with grief. He could be the only one who could save her then. He ran harder, jumping over roots and pushing past bushes. And ahead of him, he could faintly see Vaelia's outline, a sliver of light set on her by the half moon. As he ran, he looked up, and slowed down hurriedly.

 _What's that? . . . Is it a Lethrblaka?_ Deaother wondered, staring. A dark, winged creature seemed to be flying after Vaelia. _Oh no . . . oh, please no!_ Deaother thought, and ran after her.

Vaelia sprinted forward, moving as fast as she could, heading for the city which had been her home for her entire life, the city which she loved with all her heart. But her thoughts were focused solely on what she wished to do, get her father's body back, and die by his side. She knew that there was no way she could go on without him, and that all the other elves would expect her to rise to take her father's place.

 _I am not ready to be a queen . . ._ Vaelia had concluded earlier on, when she had sat near the magic waters. But now, all she knew was that her father was lying in the Tialdari Hall, and that she had to get there and get him back. But how? She couldn't just walk into the city.

 _I must have a plan . . . a way with which I can enter the city and get out without being noticed . . ._ Vaelia thought. The whole place must be surrounded by Ra'zac.

She thought about the Tialdari hall being filled with those beaked creatures swarming in and out of it, hurrying around and looting her home. It pained her to imagine her own home that way. One week had torn her world apart. It was hard to believe that it had been just a week ago that she had been showing Deaother the magic waters. But now, all her thoughts were behind her, and her will resolute. She was going to save her father, or she was going to die trying. This was her stand.

Little did she know that she being followed and watched . . . from all sides.


	69. Chapter 68

**Chapter 68: A Race against time**

Vaelia crouched behind a large root, peering over it in the eerie darkness of the city of Ellesmera, staring straight at the Tialdari Hall. The entire place was deserted, she had not come across anyone on her way there, but she sensed that something was amiss. The Ra'zac and Lethrblaka wouldn't just leave the place after they had captured it; it was a seemingly foolish idea.

 _But then, where are they?_ Vaelia thought. The gates of the Tialdari hall had been burnt apart, the vines dead and fallen in the form of ashes. The sight of them made the back of Vaelia's neck prickle, he thoughts foreshadowing what she was going to see inside.

Even though there was no one there, Vaelia was afraid of moving from her position, held in place by her fear, which had suddenly welled up inside her. It was not the fear of the Ra'zac or Lethrblaka, but of the sight of her father's dead body.

 _Am I ready to see him like this?_ Vaelia thought, suddenly afraid that it would break her, destroy what she was. It wasn't easy, what she was going to do, and she had not given any thought to it earlier. But now that she did, she realised that the prospect was truly horrible.

But she had come too far to turn back now, and she knew it, so she stood up and slowly moved out of her hiding place. Hurrying forward, she hid behind another tree, looking around. There still no sign of anyone around, so she came out again and sprinted for the gates of the Hall.

 _Just a little bit more . . ._ She thought as she ran, but stopped short as she came in front of the Hall. All her speed, determination, even courage, seemingly seeped out of her as she beheld the carnage inside.

The hall, which had once been beautiful and green, was now red with blood of the elves. Corpses littered the ground, of elves and Ra'zac, but mostly elves. But there, a little ahead of the rest of the dead elves lay their king, in his shining golden armour. The armour was red with blood, but it was still flawless and strong. But she could see that a blade had pierced the armour at the shoulder, there was a bloody cut there. But as she looked down and stared at her father's torso, she gave a wail and ran forward, unable to stop herself any longer.

"Father!" She cried as she reached him, falling to her knees next to him and staring at the four knives, poking out of his neck, two in his chest, and one in the stomach, the work of a monster.

"Father . . . no, this can't be real . . . You can't leave me here now . . . not now . . . What do I do? . . . How can I help the elves? . . . Father you always had a plan, an idea, something that would keep balance . . ." Vaelia said in a choked voice and loud voice, tears streaming down from her eyes. "Y-You . . . Y-You can't just . . . leave me here . . . You c-can't die!"

Vaelia reached forward and grabbed the face of the late king and stared at him, his eyes were still wide and staring up at the sky, his mouth hanging open. Whatever he had seen last, had brought him great pain and regret, even horror.

She cried for a while more, her voice coming in gasps, but after a few moments, she slowly regained control of herself. She knew that she had to get out, along with her father's body. And she had to be quick about it. Wiping her tears on her sleeve, she stood up, and pulled out the knives from her father's body, almost able to feel the pain it would bring if they pierced her body. She pulled out the last one from the neck and threw it aside, and grabbed her father's waist and hoisted him onto her shoulder. She didn't notice as the king's locket slid off his neck and fell to the ground.

Being an elf, she didn't have much problem lifting up the body, quite strong as she was. She turned around and ran out of the hall, hurrying towards a place which she had been fascinated with since her childhood. Her father's body lay on her back, blood drops still falling out of it one by one, and onto the ground.

Zar'rac stared at the Princess as she ran out of the hall, signalling his Ra'zac to hold their place. He waited for several minutes, then signalled them to come to him, a smirk on his face, hidden by the helm that he had pulled on.

"Listen now . . . I am going to go after that elf, and capture her, but she is not to be touched or harmed by any of you . . . Stay here, her friends will probably come here, looking for her. And when they do . . . Kill them." Zar'rac told them, and the beaked creatures around him nodded, moving back and vanishing into the darkness.

He strode ahead, out of the hall, staring down. The foolish elf had not realised that she was leaving behind a clear trail for him to follow. As he walked, he waved his hand, and one by one, men came out from behind the trees, bloody daggers in their hands and weird instruments on their belts.

They didn't speak, just followed him, their number slowly increasing to half-a-dozen of them. They were tall, each at least six and a half feet, their hands and bodies were huge and powerful, and the hairs on their head were long and shaggy, but completely black in colour.

These were the men of Frualder, the land of humans, from where they had left the land to reach other places. The ancient texts stated that they had reached Alalea first, then headed west to reach Alagaesia. These were the 'pure humans', as they called themselves, not like the ones in Alalea or Alagaesia.

The emperor of Frualder had sent Crugan almost half of his army, because he too, had a grudge to settle against Alagaesia, especially its humans. Zar'rac grinned as he remembered returning from the land with five hundred huge ships, each having a thousand soldiers.

"We are going to capture the princess of elves . . . and I am sure all of you will be interested in her." He said, and the men around him laughed as they turned left, robes billowing in the wind.

"Oh yes . . . we will!" A man replied, his imagination devilish. Zar'rac liked humans for this one factor, they enjoyed some things as much as he did, which was quite uncommon for a shade.

 _Six for the appearance . . . and dozens and dozens more for the ambush._ Zar'rac thought to himself, knowing and all the Ra'zac who had been stationed nearby were following him as silently as possible.

Deaother cursed and swore, he had lost his track to Vaelia completely, and now he didn't know which way he had to go. He was lost, and he knew it. He had taken a wrong turn somewhere, and now he was retracing his way back, annoyed and exasperated.

 _Bloody hell! Which way did she go?!_ Deaother thought, kicking a branch out of his way, then trotting forward again. He stopped as he recognised where he was, and turned left and right. He thought for a while, then realised that this was the way to the Tialdari Hall, to the right, and so he sped down the path.

"Deaother, wait!" A voice said suddenly, and he looked over his shoulder to see Worian running after him. He didn't stop, but slowed down, he didn't want to fall too far behind Vaelia. It would be extremely difficult for him to catch up now as it was.

"Wait . . . listen to me . . . what if this is a trap? What if the leader of the Ra'zac knows that Vaelia will return for her father? Enaevia must have told him." Worian said, catching up with Deaother, while Deaother considered what he had said.

"Listen here Worian . . . I, quite frankly, am more concerned about Vaelia's safety than anything else . . . if this is a trap, then we will just have to fight out way out." Deaother replied.

"How are you so calm? Aren't you frightened of what might happen?" Worian asked him as they ran towards the Tialdari hall.

"I am, Worian . . . but I am not going to let my fear get in the way of saving my friend, that would be truly pathetic and cowardly on my part." Deaother told him, and that seemed to have quietened Worian for a while.

As they came closer to the hall, Deaother hurriedly stopped Worian, halting his steps. He placed a hand on his ear, making it like a funnel, wondering. He had heard something, although quite faintly. It had sounded like someone laughing.

"What is it?" Worian asked him, curious as to what had made Deaother stop so suddenly.

"Did you hear something?" Deaother asked her, and Worian shook his head. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am . . . now lets hurry up." Worian said, pushing past him and running for the Tialdari Hall.

"Wait! If anyone really is there, they might hear you." Deaother said, but Worian didn't seem to have heard him. Sighing, Deaother ran after him, hoping that what he had said would be wrong. There was still no sign of Vaelia, which meant that either she was already inside the Tialdari Hall, or they had overtaken her.

Worian stopped just a little away from the burnt gates of the hall, and squinted, trying to see whether anyone was there inside the Hall. Deaother caught up with him, gazing inside himself. The sight which met him ensnared his thoughts almost immediately.

 _Oh no . . ._ Deaother thought, taken aback by the number of elves that lay on the ground inside the very hall which had been his home for the past months. They all lay there, at rest in death's cold embrace, most of their armours ravaged and destroyed, their weapons green with the blood of Ra'zac, and littering the ground. Some of the elves had not even had the chance to draw their swords.

As he beheld what he saw, a pang of grief, loneliness, and most of all, hopelessness engulfed Deaother. This was not right. This was not supposed to happen. His world was not supposed to be like this, life was never meant to be like this. He had never imagined he would be standing at the elven capital and staring at a carnage wrought by an enemy he didn't even know of.

But slowly, these thoughts turned to rage, and anger, at the sight of the fallen elves, accompanied by the strong and powerful will to live and survive. And most of all, he felt concern for Vaelia, and his parents and their partners. If Crugan had been able to do this in a foreign land, what he would he have done in his own?

Worian was silent for a long time, while Deaother looked around silently. "D-Deaother . . . M-My father is right t-there." Worian said suddenly, and walked forward, gaping. Slowly, his walk turned into a jog, then into a full sprint as he entered the hall.

Deaother hesitated, then ran as well, following the elf. But he somehow had a very bad feeling about all this. So far, things had been just easy for him and Worian. It was all too easy to be true.

Worian fell to his hands and knees next to his father, holding his hand with both of his own. Deaother hurriedly caught up with him, and stared at Vanir, who's eyes were closed and had a look of peace on his face.

"Worian . . . he passed away as a hero, he died defending his home and king . . . this was probably the way in which he would have preferred to die." Deaother told him, looking around the hall.

"I . . .I know Deaother . . . and I am proud of him as well . . . but come on, let us not divert from what we set out to do . . . I am sure my father would not want me to move his body from here, away from his comrades, so . . ." Worian said, but stopped abruptly as Deaother held up a hand.

"What is it now?" Worian asked him, a little annoyed.

"Shh . . . There . . ." Deaother said, pointing at a room inside the Tialdari hall. There was someone there. Deaother squinted, and slowly he was able to make out a set of dark boots, and chain mail, and a beaked helm.

Suddenly, a twig cracked behind him, and he and Worian both jumped away from each other, Deaother fumbling for his sword. He grabbed and hilt and drew the silver weapon, and searched for the source of the sound. It didn't take him long to realise what the source was.

"Hellfire! It's the Ra'zac!" Deaother yelled, and Worian hurriedly held up his palm, muttering something. Deaother looked at him, then hurriedly turned away as soon as he recognised the words, closing his eyes.

A deep red light illuminated the hall, followed by a series of shrieks and clicks. Deaother looked around, his eyes straining in the light, his sword ready. But he stopped as he realised what they had just walked into, his heart and courage dropping completely.

They were surrounded by about twenty Ra'zac.

Vaelia ran as fast as was possible, but it was still not enough for her. Her father's body sagged to the side, and she hurriedly pulled him up again properly, holding him tightly. She was heading for the Menoa tree, which was her favourite place in the city of Ellesmera. But the tree was asleep as of now, and it seemed that Eragon, and then Deaother, had been the only ones she had spoken to.

But she stopped abruptly, and turned around, suspicious. _Am I being followed?_ Vaelia thought, and scanned the surroundings. She was a little surprised that she hadn't encountered anyone so far, and her intuition told her that it wasn't good to walk so openly, although she had been ignoring it so far, now she felt that it was time that she did listened.

She moved to the cover of the trees ad waited, watching silently. If someone had been following her, they would come there. She stood in silence, ignored even by the cold breeze.

After a few moments, she sighed and began moving. There had been no sign of anyone so far, so she continued on ahead. It seemed that she was safe for now after all. But what was she to do after she had placed her father there?

 _I can't take him with me, but I will need to take his armour and crown for the next king or queen . . . for me . . ._ Vaelia realised as she recalled the fact that she had promised her father that she would lead the elves if something would happen to him. And now that she did recall it, she realised what a daunting prospect lay ahead of her.

 _I am supposed to lead the elves into battle against a foe whom I haven't even heard of, haven't even seen . . . about whom we know nothing._ Vaelia realised, beginning to get tensed. But this wasn't the time to think about it, she reminded herself that it was time to focus on the task at hand.

She rejoined the path and continued jogging down the road, knowing that the Menoa tree was just a little farther off.

And, without a sound or anything else, Zar'rac and his six men followed.

"Deaother, we should flee!" Worian said, readying his sword while the Ra'zac fell back because of the light that he was emitting. But it was only a temporary setback for them.

"No Worian, if Vaelia came here, it means that these Ra'zac must have her . . . I am not leaving this place without her, you hear?" Deaother told him, looking back at him.

"And why is that? What do you feel so strongly for her?" Worian asked him angrily, but Deaother ignored him and ran towards a Ra'zac who was standing straight ahead of him. The Ra'zac probably wasn't able to see as good as it normally would but it had recovered enough to dodge Deaother's attack.

 _Blast you!_ Deaother thought as his sword swung around harmlessly, leaving him open from the right.

"Get him!" The Ra'zac hissed, diving at him with a curved, bloody sword drawn. Five more Ra'zac attacked him from the other sides. Deaother ducked hurriedly as a curved blade sailed towards his neck from the side, then whirled around on his hand, legs outstretched. He tripped four of the Ra'zac, then got to his feet and parried a slash from the one who was still on his feet.

"Jierda!" Worian yelled, somewhere behind Deaother, and there were a couple of loud screeches as the legs of a few Ra'zac snapped.

 _I can use magic against them!_ Deaother realized, and blocked a blow from the Ra'zac in front of him. Not stopping, he pushed his opponent's sword down and pushed the Ra'zac back with his shoulder, then pointed his palm at the Ra'zac's face, yelling, "Brisingr!"

Golden flames engulfed the Ra'zac's face, and it shrieked in anguish, dropping the sword and raising its hands to its head. But it was covered with a helm, which was being heated by the flames. The Ra'zac's head was being roasted alive.

Deaother stabbed the creature in the heart, putting it out of its misery. Then, he turned around and saw that many of the Ra'zac were backing away from him, apparently intimidated by the way he had defeated their kin.

Worian was handling three Ra'zac on his own, and Deaother hurriedly launched himself onto one of them, swinging powerfully. The Ra'zac tried to block his blow, but Deaother was too strong. The Ra'zac's sword slid out of its grasp and fell to the ground. Before it could as much as 'click', Deaother beheaded it, just as another Ra'zac fell back by a blast of magic from Worian.

The final Ra'zac stopped fighting and hurriedly began to retreat towards his comrades, but Deaother muttered, "Kveykva!" and lightning emanated from his palm, striking the Ra'zac in the back, then burning his entire body in a single bolt. He fell to the ground, burnt to death.

The remaining twelve or so Ra'zac stood side by side in front of Deaother and Worian. Worian had a small cut on his shoulder, which he was healing with magic.

"Where is Vaelia?" Deaother asked them, and there was silence for a moment, which was extremely aggravating. Deaother couldn't hold himself back anymore, and he yelled in rage and frustration, "Answer me, where in Alagaesia is the Princess?!"

Ra'zac turned to each other, clicking and muttering something. Deaother turned to Worian, who raised an eyebrow at him, and he understood the mistake. He had spoken in the Ancient Language.

"Where is Vaelia?" Deaother asked them, not as loudly this time, in the common language, and the Ra'zac clicked more and even louder, turning to each other and pointing at each other. Something was not right here, Deaother could feel it.

"Elf . . . Your Princessss isss not with usss, ssshe came in, picked up a body and ran out again . . . we didn't harm her." One of the Ra'zac said, and Deaother and Worian both turned to him.

"Why should we trust you? You might have already captured her, or . . ." Deaother began to say, but Worian placed his hand on his shoulder, signaling him to stop.

"Listen here . . . we need to know which way she went." Worian said, looking at the group of Ra'zac. "We will not attack or harm you as long as you don't attack us or harm us either . . ."

The Ra'zac began clicking and muttering again, and Deaother felt his temper rising. They were wasting time. Vaelia might have run into a lot of trouble out there on her own. And what had that Ra'zac said about picking up a body?

"Wait . . . Worian . . . I think they are saying that she picked up her father's body and went . . .that's exactly what she wanted to do, get her father and pay him the respects he was due." Deaother said, and hurriedly began looking around.

"Where was the king lying?" Worian asked them, and a Ra'zac pointed at a point just a little away from the gate. Deaother hurried towards the spot, while Worian followed. There were no elves lying there, most of them were away from the gates. Why was that so, Deaother had no idea.

As he came close enough, he saw a small locket lying on the ground, which he hurriedly picked up. Worian stared t it as well, then shrugged as Deaother turned to him, who then turned back to the locket.

"Deaother, look . . . blood." Worian said suddenly, and Deaother looked at the ground. As he had said, blood drops fell in almost a straight line, which went straight out of the Tialdari Hall.

"This must have dropped down all the way from King Dathedr's body . . . this will lead us to Vaelia!" Deaother said hurriedly, and forgetting about the Ra'zac behind them, he sprinted out of the hall, hurriedly bringing a light on his palm with magic.

The two friends followed the fortunately found trace, but they didn't know that they weren't the only ones following the trial of blood. And with each passing step, Vaelia's life came more and more in peril as Zar'rac got closer. It was now a race against time for Deaother and Worian. Would they reach Vaelia in time to save her? And would they be able to defeat the Shade?


	70. Chapter 69

**Chapter 69: Help from the skies**

Vaelia had stopped running and was panting slightly. She had reached where she had wanted to come, in front of the Menoa tree, and now she was finally going to lay her father's body to rest.

And somehow, she felt safe near the tree, not only because it was alive like her, but because it was aware of its surroundings. The Menoa tree knew that Ellesmera was under attack, or she would in some time considering her slow nature. But when she did, Vaelia knew that there would be no stopping her from killing every Ra'zac and Lethrblaka in the vicinity.

Sighing, Vaelia slowly placed her father's body onto the ground, giving him to the Menoa Tree. He deserved much better than to lie here and rot, but this was the best that Vaelia could do, and she knew that her father would understand.

 _What else? The Menoa Tree might bury his body once she notices him . . ._ Vaelia thought to herself, trying to distract herself from her earlier thoughts. But there was no evading the darkness all around, even in the confines of her own mind.

She was all alone now, in a cold and uncertain world which was at the brink of war with unknown enemies. How was she supposed to lead the elves, and who was she supposed to trust? Her first thoughts were about the Dragon Riders, but they were too far away for her to reach.

 _Deaother . . ._ Vaelia realised in a moment, but she pushed him out her thoughts. She couldn't risk getting distracted now. She looked down at her father's face again, his eyes and mouth now closed by Vaelia, and shook her head, unable to forget the expression he had had on his face.

 _What could he possibly have seen?_ Vaelia thought, but there was a sudden, soft stamp of a boot behind her, and she jumped around, hand reaching for her sword. Grasping the hilt, she drew the sword quickly, the blade shimmering in the moonlight.

Looking down the path from where she had arrived, she saw seven men there, the one in the centre hooded and his shoulder drooping. Vaelia stared at them, all of them seemed to be humans. Slowly, then began walking towards her, while Vaelia pointed her sword at them threateningly.

"Stop . . . who are you, and what are you doing here?" Vaelia asked them, and the seven of them stopped and looked at her. There wasn't enough light around for Vaelia to see any of their faces.

"A good question, Princess . . . but seeing that I am not obliged to you, I will answer neither of your questions." One of them replied in a voice that made the back her neck itch. There something completely inhuman about that human.

"Very well then . . ." Vaelia said, and the seven men walked towards her more quickly. The hooded man gestured at the other men to stop, but kept walking towards her, pulling his hood back.

Vaelia's jaw dropped as the man came into the clearing, the moonlight illuminating the face enough to make him visible. The man's skin was sickeningly grey and pale, horrible to behold, as were his green hair and yellow teeth as he sneered at her. Under the hooded cloak, he was wearing silver plated armour, and knives hung on his belt.

 _Is this the one who . . . Oh no . . . this is not good!_ Vaelia thought to herself as she slowly backed away from him.

"Y-You . . . Y-you're a shade?" Vaelia asked him, astounded and extremely frightened now. She had heard of shades, but only in stories, and of course, in the chapters of history that told of Galbatorix's reign.

"Yes, I am, and also another thing . . . you see, right now, I am going to give you two very simple choices, and-"

"Are you the one who led those Ra'zac into the city? Are you the one who attacked us?" Vaelia asked him, a little surprised as new found courage re-emerged within her.

The shade sighed and shook his head, muttering, "Women . . ." Then he looked up at her and gave her a sneer, "Listen up, _my dear_ , my name is Zar'rac, right hand man of Crugan, and I led these Ra'zac and humans _and_ Lethrblaka to the battles against Nadindel and Ellesmera . . . twice, see?" Zar'rac told her, and Vaelia began to feel annoyed and a little fearful as she heard him. " And . . .yes, of course, most importantly, I came up with an ingenious way to enter the Tialdari Hall, and to catch the king's forces off guard . . . on top of that, I even killed the king, what do you-"

"You bastard!" Vaelia shouted at him all of a sudden, unable to contain herself and her anger anymore. She couldn't stand the insults that the shade was throwing at her about her father and people. "You bloody bastard! Do you think this is the age of Galbatorix, when just anyone can come from anywhere and capture Alagaesia? Even lunatics like you will find it hard to keep up with us . . ." Vaelia shouted at him, but suddenly, she realised that she had made a big mistake.

"Aren't you a spirited one . . . I like it! And what were you calling me? A bastard?" Zar'rac said, laughing. "No denials, none whatsoever."

Vaelia stared at him, perplexed and wondering what in Alagaesia would she do next. Getting past a crazy shade would have been difficult in itself, but there were six more men here.

"I don't care, but do tell me, what did you get by attacking us? What had we ever done to you?" Vaelia asked him.

Zar'rac stared at her for a while, laughing slightly and shaking his head, "You didn't do anything, but your grandfathers and grandmothers did do something . . . they infuriated and exiled my master, and now he is back to take revenge . . ."

 _What is he saying? . . ._ Vaelia thought, but Zar'rac continued talking. She was hardly able to make sense of whatever the shade was saying, but at least it was buying her time to think.

" . . . Once this is done, we will burn your forest and . . . oh, I see that you aren't so interested." Zar'rac said, noticing that Vaelia was looking around, searching for a way out. "Oh, don't even think of running, there is no way to get out of here, except co-operating with me, which you will prefer I suppose."

Vaelia stared at him, then looked around as she realised he had meant. But as she did, a chill and tremor ran down her body and thoughts, instilling fear and hopelessness in all her thoughts as she realised that there was no escape. She was surrounded by nearly a hundred Ra'zac, and from all sides that too.

 _Oh no, what do I do? . . ._ Vaelia thought, frantically looking from one side to another, beginning to panic slowly. _He is right, I will have to co-operate . . . but what does he mean?_

"So, Princess . . . what do you think?" The shade asked, and the men behind him laughed at her. Vaelia turned to them, her face going pale, unable to decide. She decided to try and get some more time.

"A-and what does c-co-operation exactly mean?" Vaelia asked him, and the men behind the shade scoffed her, and the shade smiled wickedly.

"Some . . . favours . . . and, perhaps some rewards." The shade said, and Vaelia raised an eyebrow, unable to understand what he was saying. But then she realised that he wasn't looking at her face, he was looking at her as whole, at her body. She looked down, then up again as she realised what he was saying, rage bubbling in her, outweighing fear. Blood rushed back to her face as it grew red.

"You think I will ever give in to that? . . . You can all rot in hell for I care, but know this, you will never get what you want from me, not willingly or even forcibly . . . I'd rather die." Vaelia replied, suddenly feeling braver than she actually was.

Zar'rac hissed in disappointment, "What a pity . . . I was hoping that you would come with me . . . but looks like that isn't going to happen . . . so then, what other alternative do we have? . . . Oh yes . . . Kill her, she's of no use to us anymore."

Vaelia looked around now as several Ra'zac charged towards her, and she raised her sword, ready to fight. She knew that she was going to die, but dying by her father's side was better than anything else.

A green dragon watched the lone elf on the ground, next to the Menoa tree, holding her own as seven Ra'zac attacked her, and he knew that he would have to interfere. He was going to save her, after all.

 _I know her . . ._ His partner of mind and heart said, suddenly recognising the elf when she had looked at her though the dragon's eyes. _Its Vaelia, Dathedr's daughter . . ._

The dragon growled, and suddenly turned around, sure that he had heard something flap. He searched around for a while more, and he saw it. The brown figure was flying towards them, coming higher and higher slowly.

 _Valinor . . . it that a Lethrblaka?_ His Rider, Arya Shadeslayer asked, and he turned around, staring at them. He was unable to make out the figure as it was flying close to the treetops, but slowly as it came higher, Valinor realised that it was actually a dragon, and a very familiar one at that. But it wasn't heading for him and Arya.

 _That's Phiole! And he is heading towards Vaelia, probably to save her . . . and there, his Rider is still on his back . . . both of them looked like they have had a good fight alright._ Valinor told Arya, noticing the half healed gashes on Phiole's body, and the bruises on Everaun's.

 _We should help them, but I still don't see Deaother anywhere . . ._ Arya said, looking around. It was impossible to see anyone as well, due to the thick pines. There wasn't anyway they could see directly below them either, because of the darkness.

Phiole dived towards the huge group of Ra'zac, slashing at them with his talons, his tail whipping them away form behind.

 _. . . Let's go!_ Arya said, drawing her sword. Valinor dived as well, deciding not to roar so that they wouldn't attract anymore attention.

Deaother and Worian stopped running as they heard the unmistakable flap of wings, and loud screeching from the Ra'zac, who were probably being torn apart by a dragon.

"Can that be Phiole? . . ." Worian asked, and Deaother turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, he-"

"Only one way to find out, follow me . . ." Deaother said, and hurried into the bushes, away from the path. Worian followed him, and soon they were running around the perimeter of the clearing that surrounded the Menoa tree. Deaother's plan was to come to the edge of the trees from the other side, and to attack the Ra'zac from there, as hard and fast as they could.

So far it had gone quite well, they had reached the edge, were now running towards the group the Ra'zac, but Deaother slowed down as he realised something that he had missed earlier.

Vaelia was in the centre of the fray, and being attacked from all sides. Everaun was by her side, and they were both blasting the Ra'zac away with magic and swords, Phiole managing to keep most of them at bay. But Deaother knew that they needed aid. Next to him, Worian kept running, and he went past Deaother, running towards the Ra'zac.

 _What is that?_ Deaother thought, spotting a green figure coming towards them. He looked up, astonished, extremely astonished; he even stopped running and gaped at the sky. Then, joy followed surprise s he realised who had arrived to aid them. A green dragon, extremely large and wearing armour, flew down and attacked the Ra'zac with emerald flames, while the Rider jumped off and embedded her sword into the neck of a man who was too slow to move.

It was then that Deaother spotted five more men there, their weapons drawn. But they had kept themselves out of the fight so far, but the Rider was attacking them directly. Along with those humans was another man, an extremely pale one, with extremely long, green hair. Deaother cringed slightly as he saw the man, and he wondered whether he truly was a human.

But then, as he saw the two dragons slashing and swiping, he realised that he was just standing there like a fool, leaving all the fighting up to the new comers.

 _Vaelia needs me . . ._ Deaother thought and ran forwards, towards the Ra'zac, who were now slowly backing away from the dragons. Vaelia stood there with both the Riders on either sides of her, and Worian standing in front of her. The Ra'zac moved to the side and filed behind the six men, who were standing, dazed.

Deaother came into the view of all of them as the Ra'zac moved to the side, and the completely armour Rider stared at him, Deaother was unable to recognise her at first, but then a consciousness brushed against his, and he immediately recognised it, now even more astounded, and joyful.

 _Valinor?! How come you are here, I thought . . ._ Deaother thought as soon as he let the green dragon into his mind, he was unable to believe what he was saying.

He ran forward then as he realised who had come back from the seas to aid him and stopped in front of the Rider, whom he hugged tightly, smiling wide.

"Mother . . ." Deaother said, and she ruffled his hair.

"Are you alright? Where were you?" Arya asked him, her voice echoing because of the helm. Deaother couldn't help but laugh slightly. Who had ever expected this would happen?

"How did you come back? And so fast? You left . . . you left in those ships, I-"

"Hate to break the family reunion, but we have matters to attend to, blithering elves." A voice said angrily, and Deaother looked around to see that the man with his hood pulled back walking towards them, drawing two daggers from his belt.

Deaother felt a knot tighten in his throat. This wasn't a man, it was a shade. _He must have killed Dathedr . . . bloody catacombs of hell . . ._ Deaother thought, and for a second, a flicker of fear grew in him at the sight of him. But it didn't last long as he felt his determination to protect the princess and his mother return to him.

He looked back, and saw Vaelia staring at him earnestly, Everaun eyeing him with wonder, and Worian staring at the Shade. Arya left his side and walked towards the shade, holding up her palm.

"Wait . . ." Arya said, but the shade licked the daggers in his hand, and smirking sickeningly.

"I shall not wait any longer, elf! I am going to slay all of you! This princess was more trouble that I had anticipated . . . you all die here!" The Shade shouted, and then whipped his left arm around and his dagger flew at Arya.

Deaother gasped, but Arya just snatched the dagger out of the air, grabbing it herself now.

"You shades always find new ways to unnerve us, don't you . . . too bad, I have seen much better than the likes you." Arya commented, then threw the dagger back at him. The shade grabbed it and stared at her angrily.

"Your guts will be-" He began to say, but he was silenced as the Ra'zac suddenly began parting to let someone through. Deaother strained his eyes as he noticed the sudden movements, and he saw an elf in billowing red robes, having long fair hair and a beautiful face.

Worian cursed, and Deaother raised an eyebrow. It was Lady Enaevia. Everaun walked forward and stood next to Arya, sword in hand. Vaelia gasped slightly and came to Deaother's side, while Worian also strode forwards, a horrible expression of rage on his face.

"She betrayed us . . . she is the reason why Nadindel fell . . ." Vaelia explained, and Deaother turned to her, a little worried. He flinched as he saw a deep cut on her cheek, and a gash on her arm, marks marring her beauty.

"Wait . . ." Deaother said and placed his left hand on her cheek, muttering words in the Ancient Language, then he placed it on her arm, healing both the wounds. "That's better . . . sorry I was late, Vaelia, I could have saved all this, but I didn't know where you would go after the Tialdari Hall." Deaother said, uncertain about what to say.

"We'll talk later Deaother, right now; we should concentrate on what's going to happen." Vaelia told him, and Deaother nodded, heat rushing to his face.

"Arya . . . Arya Shadeslayer, the great predecessor of the Princess who now stands behind her . . . and the mate of the Lead Rider. I didn't expect to see you here, so far away from . . . Eragon." Enaevia said, and Arya raised her head slightly, then turned around to look at Deaother. She nodded at him, and he nodded back, but he suddenly felt something at his arm. He looked down, and was surprised to see Vaelia's fingers slowly intertwining with his own. But something abruptly hit his shoulder, and he saw Worian walking ahead, and Deaother could make out that something was wrong.

"You . . ." Worian said suddenly, his voice quite loud, and his face gradually reddening as he began to stride forward towards her, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You! You betrayed us! You let them attack us at Nadindel! You let them kill all of us!" Worian shouted at her, stopping just a little ahead of Everaun. "Curse you! You are the reason all of them are dead! But not me! I survived, I survived Nadindel! I heard and saw you talking to . . . this thing!" Worian ranted, pointing at her, then at the shade. "You thought you would get away with all this? . . . you were wrong!" Worian stopped and Everaun grabbed his hand and pulled him back, whispering, "Calm down . . ."

Deaother stared at Enaevia, and he remembered how she had seemed to be ignoring him all the time during the sparring competition so many months ago.

Enaevia acted as if nothing had happened and continued talking, "I didn't think Eragon would let you go just like this, knowing what all he did for you all those years ago, against Galbatorix . . . I remember, he threw himself on front of you just before the king was going to kill you once and for all . . . and then what? My daughter . . . my diamond . . . Naeivya, she gave her life for Eragon . . . for both of you!" Enaevia shouted at her finally, and looked around at Deaother. "Look at him! He could have been my grandson, he would have had a grandmother, buts it's just his filthy luck that his father chose-"

"So, you betrayed us all because of something that happened to you a hundred years ago?" Worian yelled at her, and this time Enaevia seemed to have been frankly frustrated.

"Oh, this is hopeless, Zar'rac, just kill them all, and quickly, I don't want to see anyone of them again . . ." Enaevia said and turned around and walked away from them. Zar'rac grinned, and held his daggers up. Deaother and Vaelia also drew their swords and joined Arya, Everaun and Worian. The two dragons came to either sides of the five elves, roaring loudly.

But suddenly, a tremor ran across the ground. Deaother staggered, as did Vaelia next to him. Another tremor ran, and a couple of Ra'zac lost their balance and fell to the ground. Deaother turned around, nodding reassuringly at Vaelia, who managed a very small smile, barely a twitch of her lips, then tightened her finger around his. But Deaother stumbled back suddenly as another, even more powerful quake took place. Everaun fell to one knee, and Worian hurriedly helped him up.

Ahead of them, Zar'rac hesitated, but not because of the dragons, who were glaring at him and his group of Ra'zac and humans, but because of something that he was staring at behind them all. His eyes went wide, and the five men behind him got looks of true fear, the colour draining from their faces. Almost all the Ra'zac began 'clicking' and several of them turned around and ran.

Deaother raised his eyebrows at Valinor, who shrugged awkwardly, but all of a sudden a huge root came from above and landed in the centre of the shade's group with teeth-chattering force, crushing several Ra'zac. Deaother yelled and Phiole yelped in surprise, and all of them turned around, incredulous.

Behind them, the Menoa tree had come to life, its branches arching outwards, leaves fluttering in irritation and roots rising in rage as she recognised the intruders, the ones who had attacked her city, her land once again.

Deaother gasped as he watched the great mother begin to pull all her thick roots back and then swing each and everyone of them towards Zar'rac's group, while the Ra'zac began to run in different directions, all trying to escape the enormous tree's wrath.

"Disperse! Move! Fast!" The shade yelled at the top of his voice and ran to the other side, narrowly avoiding a root as it whipped just over his head. "RUN!"

"Get on, Deaother!" Arya yelled, and he looked around to see Worian and Vaelia climbing onto Valinor. Deaother turned around and jumped onto Phiole, grabbing Everaun's arm and climbing into the saddle.

"Deaother, there are no straps, you better hold on tight!" Everaun shouted loudly and Phiole jumped to the air and flapped up quickly, getting away from the lashing roots that the Menoa tree was launching at the now fleeing Ra'zac.

The two dragons took to the air, burdened by passengers, while their enemies fled. The Menoa tree had been awakened, and now it was impossible for Zar'rac to come any closer to her, and to Dathedr's body, much to Vaelia's happiness.

The two dragons flew east, heading for Osilon, all seven of them amazed at what the Menoa tree had done just some time ago. But their worries weren't over yet. Although they had narrowly escaped Zar'rac and his forces, and they were heading towards the safety even now, every race on their land was soon going to be at war, when finally would Crugan unleash all his powers on the land.


	71. Chapter 70

**Chapter 70: A Practical Clue**

Deaother grabbed the sides of the saddle tightly as Phiole dived towards the ground, following Valinor's lead. Deaother stared down, looking at a small clearing in the trees, large enough for both the dragons. This was going to be the place where they were going to camp.

It was late in the noon, and the sun had been exactly overhead just some time ago. Now, it was slowly becoming red and moving towards the horizon, no more as strong as it had been earlier. Deaother was glad, the constant sun at the back of his neck had been extremely uncomfortable, because there weren't any trees up there from where he could get shade, as he was used to.

Phiole landed on the ground, heaving, and Everaun hurriedly pulled off his straps and jumped off the saddle, worry on his face as he went towards the dragon's head. Deaother jumped off as well, there were no straps for him to tie; he had broken all of them during the battle at Ellesmera, that had taken place two days ago.

"What's wrong?" Deaother asked, while Everaun hurriedly placed both his hands on Phiole's face, who was breathing heavily and lying with his eyes closed.

"He's in pain, I don't know why . . ." Everaun said, rubbing the dragon's face gently with his hand. Phiole opened one eye and blinked slowly. Everaun stopped rubbing him and took a step back, confused. "He's exhausted . . . that's what he is saying anyway."

"Well, we did fly very far, we covered half the distance to Osilon in just one day . . . I think we can afford to rest today" Arya said suddenly, jumping off Valinor herself. Worian followed, jumping off the dragon, then gave his hand to help Vaelia down, which she accepted. Deaother felt his face go red when he saw this, and he turned away, looking at his mother. "He is just tired, Everaun, don't worry. Let him eat and sleep, he will be better after that. Come, I have some food for him in my saddlebags."

Deaother hurried to his mother' side as she began to comb through the saddle bags. He himself began checking the other ones. Arya smiled at him, patting his back, "And look at you . . . A complete, grown elf now, aren't you?"

Deaother shrugged, "I suppose so . . ."

"But there's only one thing missing, son, but I'll leave it to you to figure it out." Arya told him.

It took a while for all of them to settle, during which time, Deaother found himself standing next to Vaelia, who just smiled at him and turned away again. Worian joined them, on Vaelia's other side, but not looking at her. Instead, he stared at the Riders taking the saddles off their dragons.

After an hour, they were all sitting in a circle, Vaelia still beside Deaother, but Worian was sitting a little away. Deaother could feel the elf's gaze constantly on him, making his temper rise. He had no idea why Worian was behaving like this, but he didn't care. Vaelia was with him, and that was all that mattered at that moment.

"Mother, how did you and Valinor return? . . . Weren't you leagues out at sea?" Deaother asked her, while she pulled off her sword from her belt and placed it on the ground.

"We were, but Eragon knew a way to send the two of us back . . . it did cost him a lot of energy, but we saw what had happened to Ellesmera . . . and I decided that I had to come back, because I knew that you were still alive . . . and I also wanted to find out who had caused all this, and now I know." Arya replied, loathing in her voice as she finished.

"We are going to get Enaevia back for what she has done . . . but why would she betray us?" Everaun asked Arya. "I couldn't understand half the things she was saying."

Arya stared at him, then sighed, "It's a very long story, and a very sad one at that, so I think it will be better if we don't talk about it right now, it isn't that important . . . suffice it to say that she hates me, and Eragon, and is after our necks."

"Oh, I'll get hers before she can touch either of you." Deaother replied. "She's mad, taking revenge for something that happened a hundred years ago."

"All elves are like that . . . they are too slow at forgiving." Arya said as she sat on the ground with her legs crossed. "There is nothing we can do about that, Deaother."

Deaother suddenly felt something at the back of his head, and he looked around to see Vaelia brushing them, staring at them with her eyes out of focus, "Your hair is so soft . . . why is that?"

"Err . . . I dunno . . ." Deaother replied, and she suddenly seemed to return to her senses, and she snatched her hand back.

"I am so sorry, I shouldn't have done that . . ." Vaelia said, her eyes wide.

"Oh no, it's fine . . . it felt good, actually." Deaother replied, and she gave him a small smile, then turned away. Deaother turned back to Arya, but suddenly saw everyone looking at him with raised eyebrows.

 _Blast it._

Sparks cracked as they flew out from the fire, which burned slowly, providing heat and warmth to the elves and dragons sleeping by it. Not all of them were asleep, however, a few of them were still awake, and one of them was sitting up and staring into the fire, and turning to look at another elf occasionally. It was Deaother, and he didn't have any wish to sleep, especially after what had happened two days ago.

Falling off a dragon, killing a Lethrblaka, Zar'rac's appearance, complete proof of Enaevia's betrayal, and his mother's return had surprised him quite a lot, and even now he found it difficult to believe the way in which things were going. He smiled slightly and shrugged off the feeling, knowing that things couldn't have turned out any better in they were in the present circumstances.

Suddenly, the elf who was lying a little to the side stirred and he looked at her, worried. It was Vaelia, and she kept stirring, he hoped she wasn't crying for her father, or anything else like that. Deaother knew that once they had all stopped and settled down to rest for a while, she would have felt the weight of the situation beginning to press her again.

But now, she seemed completely uncomfortable, she kept shifting from side to side, not staying in one position for more than a few seconds before moving again. Deaother heaved a sigh as he considered going closer to her and trying to comfort her. He sorely wished to do that, but the prospect of giving her a chance to recognize his feelings for her held him back, stopping him from moving forward.

He looked around then, watching Valinor sleeping, curled up comfortably around Arya, who had asked if Deaother wanted to join them. Deaother had just smiled and refused, saying that he wanted to spend more time with the others. Everaun and Worian were both asleep under Phiole's wings, and only Vaelia and Deaother were out in the open.

Vaelia shifted in her sleep again, and this time Deaother was sure he saw her eye open and take a look at him before closing again. A shiver ran down his spine, not from fear, but from anticipation. He wondered whether he should go to her.

 _I think I should . . . she probably needs someone to give her comfort, she has been through a lot . . ._ Deaother thought to himself, then hesitated again, before getting to his feet and walking towards her quietly. He sat down next to her, but she had turned and had her back to him now. Deaother couldn't help but notice that her shoulders were bare, and that she had taken off her cloak and upper shirt, although she was wearing another top. His ears and cheeks went red, and he hurriedly rubbed them, trying to control himself.

 _Stop being a fool . . . it's quite normal, there's nothing wrong with it, who would want to sleep with all that on?_ Deaother told himself, and his heart nearly stopped beating as Vaelia turned around in her sleep, her face towards him now.

He smiled at her, and suddenly, she opened her eyes and stared at him with those beautiful black pearls, and white shells of eyelids, "Deaother? . . . What are you doing here, I thought you were asleep . . ."

Deaother smiled at her, then said, "I couldn't sleep . . . so I decided to come here, because I thought you felt the same way."

Vaelia looked up, then rubbed her eyes with both her hands and began to get up, her hair covering her face partially. Deaother kept watching her as she pulled them back, behind her ear, and stared back at him, then the both of them turned away. Deaother turned to the crescent moon, directly above them, while Vaelia turned to look at the others.

It was quite a cold night, winter was nigh, anytime now it would begin to snow. Deaother himself was wearing a cloak and a couple of shirts to keep himself warm, but Vaelia wasn't. Deaother turned back to her, slowly, then asked, "Aren't you feeling cold?"

"I am, actually . . ." Vaelia replied, rubbing her exposed arms and shoulders. Deaother sighed and went closer to her, taking off his cloak partially and putting it over her as well. She smiled at him slightly and inched closer, their feet and legs touching each other's. Deaother hesitated; then placed a hand around her shoulders, and she placed her head on his chest.

"Better?" Deaother asked, and she smiled.

"Much . . ." Vaelia replied, and looked up at him. Their eyes met, and now, all of a sudden, Deaother didn't feel like turning away from her. He just wished to keep staring at her and slowly, his hand tightened around her shoulders.

Vaelia also kept staring back at him, slowly inching closer, unable to stop, and they both delved into the other's eyes until there was a sound of a twig cracking from the back. They both jumped and looked back, and Vaelia got out from under the cloak and looked for the source of the noise.

But it turned out to be nothing other than a fox, which stared at them for a while, then ran off. Deaother sighed, he had feared that it would have been a Ra'zac. Vaelia kept staring at the place where the fox had been, then looked down at Deaother, who grinned.

"Quite alert aren't you?" He asked her as she sat down again, this time in front of him, near the fire.

"I wouldn't be a good princess if I wasn't . . ." Vaelia replied half heartedly, not looking at him. Deaother raised an eyebrow, and she shook her head, "Leave it, its not that . . . important."

Deaother dropped the cloak and sat with folded legs, and she tossed a pebble aside then turned to him as he spoke, "Fine then . . . but I wanted to ask you . . . is everything alright? You are acting a little strange . . ."

"Am I?' Vaelia asked immediately, then turned away. Her face seemed to have gone red, and Deaother wondered if it really had been so, or was it because of the firelight.

"Yes . . . anyway, you promised you would tell me something . . . once I returned." Deaother told her, suddenly recalling what she had said. Vaelia looked at him, surprised, then turned away again. "Yes, you said you will tell me who you had . . . decided to mate with."

Vaelia turned to him, and he stared back at her, trying not to look too desperate or sad, but keeping a smile on his face. In truth, he had been pained immensely when he had said those words, because he didn't think he could handle the thought of not mating Vaelia, not being with her, and at the same time, watching her go away with someone else. It would be a huge blow to him, worse than any mace or hammer could ever deliver.

"Do you really want to know? . . ." Vaelia asked him, and Deaother nodded his head hurriedly. "But I have one condition . . . you have to tell me honestly, honestly, whether you feel the same way for anyone, is that fine?"

"Sure, but you first." Deaother told her, smiling. She shook her head then and pointed back at him, to his surprise. He shook his head again, but she nodded and pointed at him, this time more forcefully. Deaother sighed. "You want me to go first? . . . Fine then . . . I do have feelings for someone . . . very strong feelings at that . . ."

Vaelia stared at him, and he could make out that she was astonished, but she covered it up and asked, "How strong?"

"I am ready to die for her, and do anything she says." Deaother told her simply, and he could tell by the look on her face that she was shocked.

"And who is this lucky person?" She asked him, and Deaother laughed slightly, pulling himself back.

"You . . ." Deaother replied, and Vaelia's eyes widened, but he continued, " . . . first, tell me who yours is, then I will tell you mine."

Vaelia's eyes went even more wide, and she was struck dumb for a complete minute, after which she just stammered, "Oh . . . that's what you meant, I . . . never mind!" She said hurriedly as Deaother raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, but answer the question, who is he?" Deaother asked her, and she stared at him for a while, then came closer to him, on her hands and knees.

"He is . . . the one who I think is the best elf for me, who has been and will always be by my side . . . who has always shown up when I needed him the most . . . who trusted me and saved my life, and I did the same for him . . . whom I trusted as we fought side by side against those invaders . . . who do you think it is?" Vaelia finished, and stared at him straight in the eye. She was exactly in front of him, their faces merely inches apart, and Deaother could see wonder in her eyes.

 _Who has always been by her side? . . . I don't know . . . shows up at the right time? Well, there's Worian, thanks to whom they managed to get the defenses of Ellesmera ready and warn the other lords . . . who saved her life, again Worian . . . fought alongside her, again Worian . . ._ Deaother thought in dismay, in all these situations, Worian's share in Vaelia's life seemed to be much greater than his.

"I forgot to add one thing . . ." Vaelia said suddenly, smiling. Deaother raised an eyebrow, "He has always understood me, and always helped me out of difficult situations, especially when I needed him the most."

Deaother got even more confused now, unable to understand. _Not Worian . . . he shouted at her and didn't understand what she was trying to say . . . so, not him . . . Who else is there, other than me? . . .oh, I don't know . . . I guess it is Worian, he might have been there for her at other times . . ._ Deaother thought to himself, and shook his head from side, suddenly unable to believe what he was thinking. _No, it can't be . . . I can't let Vaelia go ahead and mate him! What about me? . . . no, that's not the way . . .if she feels she will be happy with him, then who am I stop her? . . . no, it's completely her choice, hers alone . . . I don't think I have much say in this._ Deaother concluded, and scratched his head, looking up at her uncertainly. She was still right in front of him, though she was sitting on her knees now, and staring at him expectantly.

"Err . . . Vaelia, this is a little hard . . . can't you just tell me?" Deaother asked her, and saw a little annoyance come on her face. He hurriedly shook his head, "No, no, I'll work it out, I'll work it out . . ."

 _Oh no . . . what do I say?_ Deaother thought frantically, then said, "Is . . . is it Worian?"

Vaelia stared at him, for a while, her eyebrows raised then shook her head, and he could make out that she was annoyed. "Come on Deaother, it's so simple!"

"I don't know, really, I don't . . . tell me, will you?" Deaother asked her again, and she sighed and crept closer to him.

"You really don't know? . . . Or you do know and are scared to say it out loud?" Vaelia asked him as she crawled closer. Deaother shook his head, his eyes boring into hers. "No? . . . then you really are a . . ."

"A . . .?" Deaother asked her, and she came very close to him, closer than he had expected. Their faces were just an inch or so apart, and he could see the marks of the previous battle on her face. He shuddered as she came closer still.

"A complete fool!" Vaelia said suddenly, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "Deaother . . . I love this person . . . yes, I love him!" Vaelia said as Deaother got a shocked expression on his face. "I love him so much . . . and you can't make it out? . . . I am really hurt . . ."

"Listen, Vaelia . . . " Deaother whispered, she was close enough to be able to hear it properly anyway. "Could you give me another . . . clue?"

Vaelia stared into his eyes, and Deaother felt for a moment as if she could read his thoughts and emotions, "A clue . . . I can give you a practical, instead of a theory."

Deaother only managed to say, "Practical?" before she jumped onto him suddenly, pushing him to the ground. "Vaelia!" He gasped, knocked out of his wits. Vaelia laughed and grabbed his wrists to stop them from flapping around, then pushed them to the ground. Valinor shifted to the side, and Deaother turned to look at him, hoping to the heavens that the dragon was still asleep.

He looked up then, to see Vaelia on top of him, her hands moving to his shoulders, and was on her knees. But then she reached up, and placed a finger on his lips, making him fall silent. Deaother stared at her, his chest heaving with the sudden fright and a little panic. She blinked at him, then bent towards him, her face again mere inches from his.

"This is the practical." She said, then bent further down, and kissed him full in the lips . . .

Deaother was dumbstruck for a while as he felt what she was doing, then he wrapped his arms around her, overjoyed and enthusiastic, and kissed her back, rolling to the side so that he was on top of her now. She moaned slightly and he kissed her harder, which she returned with equal force, rolling around again and ending up on top of him.

After another moment, they separated, both panting, unable to hold their breath any longer. Deaother looked up at her as she straightened herself on top of him, sitting on his stomach and pushing her hair aside.

"Vaelia . . . I . . . I love you!" Deaother said happily, reaching forwards and embracing her tightly. She laughed and wrapped her hands around his neck. "I love you so much . . . I always have, ever since I first met you!"

Vaelia brushed the back of his hair, and kissed his cheek, "I love you too, Deaother . . ."

Deaother smiled at her joyfully, and kissed her again, which she returned happily. The moment passed sooner than the previous one though, and after they separated, Deaother stared at her, unsure what to say next. Luckily for him Vaelia had a clearer head.

"So Deaother . . . are we mates, then?" She asked him, and he nodded at her.

"Yes, princess of my life, we are!" Deaother replied.

 _Arya, are those two doing what I think they are doing?_ Valinor said, making Arya blink twice, then get to her knees slowly. Pushing her hair aside, she quietly crawled out from under Valinor's wing and looked at Deaother. Her jaw fell open as she saw her son kissing Vaelia, extremely enthusiastically at that.

 _Yes . . . they are doing exactly what you think they are doing._ Arya replied simply, almost at a loss for words.

 _So, they must be mates now . . . don't you think?_ Valinor asked, making Arya stroke his wing absentmindedly.

 _Yes, they must be . . . oh well, we can talk about this tomorrow . . . I just hope that they don't share their bed . . ._ Arya thought as she watched them separate. Vaelia was on top of Deaother, who was had his hands on her shoulders and was smiling with more happiness than she had ever seen. Now I think I should keep an eye.

 _I guess you were right earlier, loved one, we need rest . . . come on._ Valinor said hurriedly, and Arya reluctantly climbed back under the wing.

Deaother lay on his back, looking up at the steadily brightening sky. Vaelia was next to him, her head on his shoulder and her hair in a complete mess around him. He smiled and brought the long, dark strands together and stroked her head lovingly as she slept.

She snuggled closer then, her arms tightening around his chest. Deaother grabbed the blanket, which he had placed to the side, and pulled it over himself and Vaelia, covering them from the mist that was beginning to settle as the sky turned gray in colour, then slowly the hue of light blue began to glow.

Everyone else in the camp was asleep, except Deaother, or so it seemed at least. He looked down again, staring at his mate, whom he had kissed and accepted just some time ago. He wasn't able to believe what had happened, and how things had changed so much in a matter of minutes. Now, he had finally got his heart's desire, and he was extremely cheerful about it.

". . . pull me closer, will you?" Vaelia muttered suddenly, and he did so, wrapping both his hands around her back and pulling her closer to him, her head just below his, face almost on his shoulder. He stroked her back gently, while her fingers tightened around his shirt and she rubbed her face against him.

"What's wrong?" Deaother asked her, perturbed by her sudden change in behavior.

"Nothing . . ." She replied. "My cheek is just itching a bit . . ."

"I think we should get up now, before the others do . . ." Deaother said, looking around once more.

"Why?" Vaelia asked him, and he stroked her head again.

"Why not?" Deaother asked her, and she looked up at him quizzically.

"Deaother, we are mates, they need to know that if they are travelling with us, don't you think that way?" Vaelia asked, her voice changed, She sounded stern and strict all of a sudden.

"N-No . . ." Deaother muttered, making her raise her eyebrows. "Because I . . . well, I just don't want them to find out what . . . you know, what we have been doing . . ." Deaother said, and her reaction was something he would never forget.

All of a sudden, Vaelia grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him around astounding strength. In less than a second, Deaother found himself face-to-face with her, "Unless you are ashamed of being my mate, there is no need to hide anything about us from anyone, do you understand?" Vaelia asked him, and he stared back at her, surprised. When she didn't get a reply, she pulled him closer and said, "Are you ashamed of being my mate?"

"No, of course not, I am proud of it, in fact . . ." Deaother said hurriedly, placing his hands on her waist. "Don't . . . I love you, Vaelia."

Vaelia let go of him then, saying, "Fine then . . . so you are not hiding our relationship from anyone."

Deaother nodded, and as she made to get up, he wrapped his hands around her again and pulled her into a kiss. But this time, something went wrong, and she hurriedly pulled away from him. Deaother gave her a questioning look, and she pointed to the side, her face going completely red.

Deaother turned around and saw Everaun and Phiole staring at them, both of them grinning. Everaun nodded at Deaother, who felt heat rushing to his face. But Vaelia tapped him on the shoulder again and pointed at Valinor.

Deaother's heart nearly skipped a beat again, as he saw his mother watching the both of them with her arms crossed. Valinor was standing next to her, and he winked at Deaother, much to his surprise.

"Deaother, what's going on?" Arya asked him sharply, briskly walking towards him. Deaother hurriedly got to his feet, as did Vaelia.

"Mother, I . . . she . . ." Deaother stammered as Vaelia threw him a poisonous look. "I mean, the both of us, we have decided to . . . be mates." Deaother told her awkwardly, and she stared at him impassively, then turned to Vaelia. Vaelia stood straight, not even wincing when Arya came close to her and looked her in the eye. Deaother admired her courage.

Arya turned back to Deaother, and her expressionless face suddenly broke into a wide smile as she grabbed Deaother's and Vaelia's hand, and joined them in front of her, joy in her face.

"I have been wondering for a long time, Deaother, when were you actually going to confess . . . but I didn't expect you to do it just after all of us nearly got killed . . ." Arya said, making Deaother shake his head.

"I have been wondering that as well, mother, but things just came up, so I didn't get a chance earlier." Deaother told her. Vaelia smiled and hugged him, placing her head on his shoulder.

Arya nodded, then stepped back, "I will have more to say later, but for now, we have an hour before leaving." Everaun gave a laugh as he came over and thumped Deaother on the back. Deaother grinned back at him, while Valinor and Phiole congratulated him and Vaelia mentally. But Deaother couldn't help but notice the fact that Worian was just standing a little away, watching Deaother with increasing jealousy and sadness.


	72. Chapter 71

**Chapter 71: Incoming**

"Sire, all our defences are up, the gates have been barred, and all the tunnels that lead into the city have been sealed as best as they could have been under the short notice." A dwarf was saying rapidly, while Orik nodded impatiently, standing at the eastern wall, along with several other captains.

The plan had been to cut off Tronjheim completely from the inside, so that no one could enter the city from any direction. Dwarves had been stationed on all the walls of the city, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. At least, this was what had been going on for the last few days. But so far, nothing had happened.

"Very good captain, now fetch the Riders, quickly." Orik said, urgency in his voice. Tronjheim seemed like a dead city all of a sudden, everyone dwarf woman and child, and infirm, were inside their homes, and almost all the lights of the city had been put out, except those that were held by the guards.

The dwarf captain grabbed a blue lantern, and waved it towards another dwarf, who then waved a yellow one at another dwarf who was standing several floors up at the Endless Stairs. The signal was thus passed to the top, the dragonhold, where all three dragons were resting.

"Ephian, is this the best you can do?" Trellony taunted as Ephian ducked a sword thrust and hurriedly backed away. Sweat rolled down his face, and his palms were moist, hindering his grip on the handle of his sword. He scowled at her and attacked her again, but she dodged the blow and struck back, he just managed to block the blow, and push her sword away from him.

The dragons were practicing something of their own to the side. Eridor was just sitting and watching while Jiarha and Gedwey tackled at each other furiously, growling at each other.

 _Err . . . ladies, please keep the racket down, you are making me feel sleepy._ He muttered to them, and got annoyed snaps in return, which silenced him completely.

Ephian had been practicing against Trellony, who turned out to be a quite difficult opponent, as she was able to fairly keep a balance between speed and strength, which made it possible for her to adapt to any situation which Ephian put her into. But Ephian's experience still made him better than her at sword fighting. The only thing in which she managed to beat him was taunting, which Ephian hardly did unless he had lost his temper.

Ephian moved to the side as Trellony's sword returned towards him from the left, the tip missing his shoulder by inches. He retaliated with a quick jab at her side, making her wince in pain as the blunt sword poked her, even though she deflected the blow before she could be called 'dead'. Ephian then jumped back again as she began to press her attack, blocked and parried three blows, then dodged a swing at his neck, and retaliated.

Trellony blocked his blow, but Ephian twirled Edoc'sil under her own brown sword, and twitched her cross guard with the blade of his own sword, knocking the sword out of her hand. Trellony gaped at him as he backed away immediately after that, a small smile on his face.

"Even this is not the best that I can do, but I am leaving it at that for now . . . I have no wish to frighten you." Ephian told her as he walked off towards the edge of Isidar Mithrim, scratching the back of his neck.

But before he had walked a few paces, he saw a dwarf jogging up the stairs, and coming towards him swiftly. Ephian didn't need to think twice to realise that this was an important call. He raised an eyebrow in slight frustration.

The last two days had almost completely been filled with false alarms and pointless calls, where Ephian and Jiarha, or Trellony and Gedwëy, were sent to examine a place where a dwarf was sure that he had spotted something move. The fifth time that this had happened, Ephian had returned to the Isidar Mithrim and yelled his head off, tearing at his hair.

 _This better not be the usual rubbish that has been coming our way . . . otherwise, now I really will get annoyed._ Ephian thought to Jiarha, who growled behind him in approval. She had stopped her duel with Gedwëy when the messenger had shown up.

The dwarf ran up to him and stopped, doubling over and panting. Ephian just stared down at the stout dwarf, his red beard wagging from side to side as he looked up as well, and said, "Argetlam . . . you have been summoned . . . by the king . . ."

"Did he say why?" Ephian asked him, a little exasperated. He had no intention of going down once more just to return empty handed. Perhaps it was his own patience that was wearing thin, but he didn't exactly care. There was a limit to what everyone could bear, and he thought that he had found exactly how much he could withstand without losing his temper.

"He says . . . he says that they . . . spotted men . . . somewhere . . . He thinks they were scouts, and . . .you should check it . . . along with your friends." The dwarf managed to convey, still panting.

Ephian nodded, stretching his hands, then bringing them closer and intertwining his fingers, he stretched upwards, yawning. The dwarf raised an eyebrow at him, but he ignored the disapproval. He didn't care.

"Rider?" The dwarf asked him, and he nodded and began to walk towards Jiarha. He climbed onto her back, and strapped himself onto the saddle silently, while the dwarf watched him from below.

"I shall see you later then." Ephian said, nodding at the dwarf and Trellony, who nodded back. Jiarha gave a low growl and jumped high, heading for the lower sections of the city.

"Sir, it seems that the Rider got here first, and that he has already mobilised the defences of the city." A man said, standing in front of Orum and another, dark haired woman by his side.

"Well, it looks like things are never easy for us . . . but this doesn't change our plan. Now, we are certain that there are dragons there, and that we will have to be very careful . . . do we have any of the Vanguards here, with us?" Orum asked him, hoping that he was right.

The man nodded, "A couple of units, sir, but even they can't take on a dragon on their own, let alone two of them."

"All of us are going to be there, and we can all help them . . . but that certainly does complicate things a lot . . . leave, I will call you when the need arises." Orum said, gesturing at the man to go, who just nodded and obeyed.

"Now what?" Elva asked him, and he shook his head, sighing.

"Nothing much is different, except the fact that I will be going with the main army, to attack the city head on, and you will be taking just fifty or so soldiers with you . . . Now, you have become the diversion, and we the infiltration." Orum said, smiling at the way things had so suddenly worked their ways to their places.

Elva didn't seem to be pleased though, "The dragons will just swoop down and set all of you on fire, what good will that do?" Elva told him matter-of-factly.

"I am well aware of it, Elva, but do you have any other alternative?" Orum asked her, and she shook her head, hair moving from side to side. "Then there is no point to this discussion . . . you should return to your tent and start preparing."

"I will . . . But remember this, I have been sent here to help you, not to let you order me around. If I feel that things aren't going the way they should, then I will take matters into my own hands." Elva told him, then turned around and left, not saying a word more.

Orúm just scowled as she left, then turned back to his work, staring at the map of the city. _Sometimes I wonder if that Rider was glad she vanished . . ._

"Ah, there you are . . ." Orik said, hurrying towards Ephian as soon as he dismounted at the walls of the city. The king and the guards behind him seemed to be anxious and tensed. "We spotted some people there, just past that tunnel over there . . . that's one of the few exits we weren't able to seal off, because it is already quite weak, a powerful shot from a catapult, or a dragon, and the rocks will come crashing down." Orik explained, gesturing at an opening to the tunnel to the right, quite far away.

"I and Jiarha will go ahead and check what it is, sire . . . and in the meantime, I think you should tell the soldiers to get to their posts and also get ready . . ." Ephian said, and Orik nodded at him, smiling.

The king had removed his crown, to be replaced with a golden helm, over golden plated armour, with the kingly hammer belted to his waist. He truly was prepared for the battle that was going to come, and Ephian knew that Orik was determined to win and survive it. He was pleased with this, knowing that the dwarven king would be a great support, especially if he tried chasing after Elva himself after all this was over.

"Very well, Ephian . . . and don't engage any of them, it will be much better if you just return and warn us, so that we can prepare accordingly." Orik told him, and he nodded, climbing into the saddle.

 _Do you think that they will be heading for us? Right now, I mean._ Jiarha asked him, and he could sense a little trepidation in her. She had never been in a real war, and even though she was extremely powerful and strong, fear of the unknown was prevalent in dragons as well, even though it might not be much.

 _Yes, I think they are . . . Knowing Orúm, I don't think he wastes time, he had already called forth his army by the time we had reached Galfni . . . I am pretty sure he won't stop marching till he reaches Tronjheim itself._ Ephian explained, as she took off and began to fly out of the city. Her concern grew with each word that he spoke.

 _But we aren't ready for him._ Jiarha replied, while Ephian strapped himself onto the saddle more securely.

 _I know partner, but there really is nothing we can do about it . . . and the king has called the forces from the nearby cities, and we have also told them the way into Tronjheim . . . Orúm's army will have to face all of them at once, and I don't think they can handle that._ Ephian replied back, but he knew that she had not been reassured.

 _Perhaps that is so, but what if hi army is large enough to defeat all the dwarves? Then what are we supposed to do, run?_ Jiarha asked him, and he shook his head.

 _No . . . we are supposed to fight him, and if we can't defeat him, then we should die trying . . . If we weaken his army enough, then it will be easier for him to be defeated the next time he attacks anyone._ Ephian replied, and he could sense that she hadn't been convinced even now, so he sighed and gave up.

They flew for some more time, under the mountain, heading for the only opening to the tunnels that they could see. It was quite far from the city, and Ephian knew that if they spotted an army coming towards them, then the dwarves would have enough time to station their soldiers before the army was at their gates.

Jiarha flew faster now, at Ephian's urging. The passed the distance swiftly, and Jiarha swooped low, and flew into the open mouth of the tunnel, moving ahead into the darkness.

Orúm walked briskly, passing several soldiers who stood in long lines, and all of them were facing straight ahead, not even turning to look at him as he passed them. He nodded at their captains, who took the leader to bow their heads at him. He was pleased an satisfied with the discipline in the army, the factor which had helped them defeat almost all other enemies.

These cold, battle-hardened warriors had been trained thus, to listen to orders without a question, to listen to their captains and commanders. This was why Orúm's armies stood out among the other armies of Crugan.

He reached the head of the army and stood there, looking at the huge army in front of him. He smiled, there was hardly any chance that Tronjheim could hold its own against them now.

A little away from the main body of the army stood Elva and several other men, about a hundred of them. They were going to work their way under the city, to the tunnels, and come out on the other side, just inside the gate, through the same route that Durza himself had once used.

"Alright men, listen to me now . . ." Orúm said, drawing his sword and holding it up, pointing towards the top of the caves. "I know that all of crave for battle, and all of your wished will be fulfilled in some time, but before we do march to battle, I want you all to know this . . . our enemy is not weak, and if we give them the chance, they can defeat us . . . so, I need everything to go just as planned, or we risk defeat and humiliation in the eyes of our master." Orúm told them, pointing the tip of his sword in the general direction of everyone of them.

Then, he turned around and pointed his sword straight, towards the tunnel which led directly to Tronjheim, the only tunnel which had not been blocked by the dwarves. "Let's show them what we have got . . . Charge!" He roared and sprinted forwards, followed by the huge army, running behind him in rage and blood-thirst.

Jiarha flapped forward, quite slowly now, as compared to before, because even she was finding it difficult to look around now. As for Ephian, he was flying around completely blind.

 _I don't see anyone or anything . . . Perhaps there was no one here after all._ Ephian thought, disappointed. _Let's go back, there is nothing here._

Jiarha agreed, and slowed down, then came to a stop, flapping to keep herself aloft. Gradually, she turned around and swerved forwards, but stopped abruptly, looking around , squinting.

 _What's wrong?_ Ephian asked her as she backtracked her way slowly, trying to not make much sound of her wings.

 _I think I heard something back there . . . it sounded like someone yelling, then rocks falling down . . . the entire tunnel is shaking . . ._ Jiarha said, and Ephian scratched his head, confused.

 _Are you sure?_ Ephian asked her, and she nodded. They waited there silently, and Ephian looked down, there was nothing there. Staring up, he realized that there still was no sign of anyone moving or sneaking. He clenched his fists, beginning to lose his patience.

 _This is hopeless, there is no one here Jiarha._ Ephian told her, but Jiarha didn't move. She stayed where she was, and kept staring straight ahead, hardly listening to him. _Jiarha?_

 _Shh . . . Look, straight ahead._ Jiarha said, and Ephian looked up again. There was nothing there.

 _Nothing . . ._ Ephian told her, beginning to get annoyed. But then, suddenly a light came up ahead of them, far ahead, it was just a pinprick of light, but there was something there after all. Ephian strained his eyes then, trying to find out what it was.

 _Ephian . . . its . . . its an army!_ Jiarha said suddenly, and hurriedly began to fly backwards, then turning around quickly and flying straight, towards the exit of the tunnel.

 _What are you saying?_ Ephian asked her, perplexed.

 _An army . . . that was an army! They are heading straight for us, we should warn Orik._ She told him, making his look back in surprise, at the tunnel which was till so dark that he couldn't see anything.

Elva watched the army move ahead, while she herself walked calmly, followed by the men behind her. Next to their group, the men of the main army ran , following Orúm.

Elva walked forward, then turned right at a small opening in the walls. She walked down this path, the darkness covering her almost completely. This path had been discovered by the dwarves a few years after Galbatorix's downfall, and they had realized that this had been the way which Durza had used to infiltrate the Dwarven Capital.

Now, they were going to use the same path once more, and Elva knew that they had boarded up the tunnel from where Durza had entered, but they had forgotten that all Shades were cunning enough to leave another opening, in case they failed then and had t return another day. It was this other 'opening' that Durza had left, which Elva was going to take.

Outside these inner caves, Jiarha emerged from the tunnel and flew towards the city, flapping as quickly as she could. Far behind her, Orúm jogged, while the men sprinted behind him to keep up, their weapons drawn and their faces and wits ready for the battle.

The big step had been taken, and the battle for Tronjheim, the Dwarven Capital had begun. Could the dragons and Riders, along with the dwarves, truly defend the capital and live to tell the tale? Only time would tell.


	73. Chapter 72

**Chapter 72: Second Battle for Tronjheim**

"You said there were people charging towards us . . . not such a blithering huge army!" Orik said, staring straight ahead. The dwarven army had also assembled in front of Tronjheim, once Ephian and Jiarha had warned them about the incoming attack. Orik stood at its head, ignoring the warnings of his ministers, and even Hvedra.

"What a king is he if he doesn't lead his land's defense?" Orik had said to them, and had raised his hand to silence any further arguments.

"Well sire . . . I suppose I should have worded it better." Ephian said, shaking his head, while Trellony gave him an irradiated look. "But then again, there are more heads you can crack with Volund now."  
"Now that's what I like to hear . . . its been too long since we actually battled with anyone, let us make up for it, eh?" Orik said, and laughed, then walked forward, pointing the golden hammer at the men who were charging at them.

"Dwarves of Farthen Dur, hear me!" He shouted, and as silence fell, he started talking, but in dwarvish. Ephian stared at him for a while, unable to understand what he was saying, and it seemed that Trellony couldn't understand it either, so she shook her head and climbed onto Gedwëy.

 _Ephian, get on . . ._ Jiarha said, and he turned around, but he didn't look at her. Instead, he turned to Eridor, who nodded and crawled over to them. What are you waiting for? Jiarha asked him, and he gestured at the blue dragon. She turned to him, and found Eridor just next to her, rubbing his cheek against hers.

 _I and Ephian . . . had a discussion yesterday, when you were asleep . . . you won't be flying, I and Gedwëy will be._ Eridor said, and she suddenly turned to Ephian, then back to him.

 _Why is that?_ She asked Eridor, and he turned to Ephian as well.

 _Because one of you three must be on the ground . . . since I have to fight Orúm . . . I need you to be on the ground with me._ Ephian told her, and she hissed in disapproval, shaking her head from side to side.

 _And what about me? I want to soar up and rain fire upon them._ Jiarha told him, while Eridor hurriedly came closer to her and nudged at her with his snout.

 _Well . . . I guess we can do that for a while then . . . but, we have to come down as soon as I spot Orúm, he is going to go for Orik, and I have to stop him._ Ephian told Jiarha, who nodded and gave a small roar.  
Then let us get to the air. Jiarha said, and Ephian climbed on quickly. Eridor gave a small growl of disapproval, then jumped to the air, while Ephian put his straps on. Gedwëy followed Eridor, Trellony on his back.

Elva walked briskly, raising her palm and muttering, "Jierda!" A small, thin wall erected by Durza, which blocked their way, cracked, then fell to the ground in a pile of loose stones. Elva smiled slightly, while the men behind her gazed in amazement. She walked in through the narrow gap, while the men behind her formed a line at the order of the captain.

Inside was dark, but the soldier right behind her had a torch, and he held it up high, illuminating as much as he could of the cave that awaited them. Above them, they could hear the thousands of men running forward. The tunnel had taken under the caves, to the lower tunnels, where they were now. These tunnels went under the city, and they could come up at the western gate, away from all the fighting.

"Do you know how far we have to go now?" The captain asked her, joining her side as they walked forward, while men filed in from behind.

"As far as it takes, captain . . . now be silent, I am trying to remember the path." Elva told him coldly, and he became quiet instantly. She could sense disapproval regarding her in him, and suspicion from many of the men behind, along with some other much more annoying emotions. But she didn't pay any attention to them, most of them were going to die soon anyway.

They walked forward for some more time, moving slowly and gradually, giving the ones above them some time to start the battle. They were supposed to enter the city once all the forces had been pulled away from the place where they would surface.

But there was something about this place that gave Elva a deep feeling of loneliness, as if this was the place where she had been left alone, once upon a time, long ago.

Along with this feeling, also came a feeling of elation, as if this place had also changed the entire course of her life. She had been having these feelings ever since the mission briefing and planning Orúm had conducted the previous day. And she was still trying to make sense of it all.

 _Perhaps it's because this is the first mission that I am going on . . . after losing my memory that is . . . but did I truly lose my memory? Is it possible for me to not remember getting hit in the head by a dragon?_ Elva thought to herself, confused. As far as she was concerned, she was sure that there was no way that she herself would forget if something like this happened to her.

 _But master said that this is what happened . . . he saved my life, it would be highly ungrateful of me to doubt him . . . but these are just my thoughts, I guess I should pay more attention to the thoughts of others._ Elva decided, and rubbed her eyes as she walked on.

Ephian watched from Jiarha's back, staring down at the dwarven army. He smiled as he recalled the traps that they had set up to hold the men back. And a little idea, to defend the city suggested by Eridor. The entire army of Tronjheim wasn't present at the battle field, instead there were some inside. Because, if some of the invaders managed to get into the city, there had to be some defenders present there.

Other than the barricades that the dwarves had set up the previous night, starting from several yards from the city, there were also trenches that had been dug up just behind the barricades. The men would jump over the barricades, and would find themselves falling into a wet, muddy ditch, practically hidden from sight due to the darkness.

There was silence among the dwarves as they watched men running towards them, yelling and shouting curses. There was one thing that Ephian had noticed about most of these men. Almost all of them seemed to be at least six feet tall, and most of them towered over him. Had it not been for his superior speed, which he had obtained through magic, he would have found it extremely difficult to fight and defeat them.

Jiarha tensed beneath him as the invaders drew closer to the first line of barricades. Ephian ran a comforting arm over the side of her neck, and she pulled her head back and rubbed her head against his palm, her tongue darting out to lick it.

"We are going to be fine . . . be strong, Jiarha, like you usually are." Ephian told her, out loud, and she blinked to show that she had got the message. Ephian smiled, and reached into the reserves of energy that he had, suddenly recalling that he had not checked them in a long time. He gave a sigh of relief, as he realized that he probably had enough for the battle.

But suddenly, there were howls of surprise and anger, and Ephian looked up. The front line of the men, who had been charging towards them, had fallen into the series of trenches that had been dug up. The second line also fell over them, as did the third.

"FIRE!" A shout went up from Orik, and a volley of arrows was let loose by the dwarven archers. Cries of pain went up as the arrows met their targets. But that didn't stop the men as they kept on running, and jumping over each other in case of the trenches.

Eridor, Jiarha and Gedwëy were supposed to fly forward and dive straight at the heart of the army, setting it on fire. Ephian had placed wards around Jiarha and Eridor, earlier, to prevent any arrows from reaching them, so he wasn't worried about the dragons getting injured.

The men were coming closer, and the archers let loose another volley. This time, arrows came in reply from the invaders as well, although most of them just stopped in mid air because of the magic of the dwarven magicians. A couple of dwarves did yell in pain as the arrows impaled them, but they were few in number, and healers were rushing to their aid.

Several arrows had also come towards Jiarha, but they had been stopped by the wards. Ephian watched the progress of the men, who were now trying to avoid the barricades, because they seemed to know that there were trenches behind them. Some of them managed to jump high and long enough to cross both the barricade and the ditch, but most of them fell into the spaces, and cursed, as they were unable to come out because more men fell over them.

The front line of the dwarves wielded pikes, long ones at that, to keep the first of the attackers back. But the men were charging too fast to stop. The battered themselves against the pikes, dying willingly, and screaming. The person behind them would come up and behead, or bash apart the dwarf's head, before they had the time to react.

We need to get down there. Ephian thought, and tapped Jiarha's shoulder with his hand, while drawing Nuanen with the other. "Let's go and show them what we can do." Ephian told her, holding the blue sword tightly. He wanted to keep his right hand free, so that he could use magic, as well as his sword with ease.

Jiarha pulled her head back and roared loudly, which was echoed by Eridor and Gedwëy. Arrows came towards them, but they stopped in midair, and as they fell, Jiarha dived towards the invaders, flames in her maw. They swooped just over the back lines, and she let out a huge burst of black fire, while the men below yelled in pain and fear. Eridor and Gedwëy were doing the same somewhere to the right and left.

Jiarha pulled out of the dive and swerved around, flying up, then dived again, letting out more fire. Ephian raised his palm, shouting, "Böetq Kveykva!" and huge bolts of lightning burst forth from his palm, killing several of the men below him, while more and more died as Jiarha rained fire upon them.  
Behind them, Orik roared "Charge! For Fathen Dur!" And the main body of the dwarven army moved forward, their weapons ready. They wore the best armor in the entire army, and mostly wielded war axes and hammers.

They rammed against the human army head-on, swinging their weapons up, beheading their opponents, or smashing their skulls. The humans fell back for a moment, dismayed, but then charged forwards again, suddenly rejuvenated and enraged.

Orik bellowed at the men, and charged forward himself, Volund raised. His Royal Guard followed, slaughtering the men with impunity. They pressed forward the attack, knowing that they had the advantage for now, even though the dwarves were less in number. The armies were almost completely mixed now, with units of dwarves fighting units of men, who were more in number. The dragons now flew over the mixed armies, finding it quite difficult to kill the right people, while their Riders worked magic.

Ephian turned back, and found himself face-to-face with an arrow, it had stopped a mere yard away from his face, which meant that his wards were growing thin. But Jiarha didn't stop, she kept bursting forward and incinerating the attackers. She alone had killed almost a hundred of them, while behind her, Eridor and Gedwëy had also slain almost the same number.

But suddenly, there was a yell far behind, and Ephian looked around to see Trellony fall off her saddle by a blast of green magic. Ephian cursed as he realized that it was Orúm who had attacked her, and yelled, "Jiarha, turn around! Orúm's there!"

Eridor already was doing the same, diving towards the Shade, who was moving swiftly past the men of his army. Jiarha swooped around and followed Eridor, while Ephian traced the direction in which Orum was going. But he couldn't find out, Orúm was running haphazardly, as if just trying to avoid the dragons.

But there was a small roar, from behind as Gedwëy realized that Trellony was not in her saddle, but she had flown too far to save Trellony on her own. Ephian looked down, and saw that Trellony was surrounded by men, and she surely wouldn't stand a chance against all of them.

Ephian looked up, and saw Eridor still chasing Orúm, and looked back again as Trellony shouted, "Ephian! Help!" and ducked under a mace. The men around her laughed and jeered, and Ephian felt rage grow in him. Reaching down, he unbuckled the straps and jumped off Jiarha, shouting, "Get Orúm, Jiarha!"

Jiarha growled in dismay and Ephian fell through the air, onto a huge man, the one who wielded the mace. They fell to the ground in a tumbled mess, and Ephian straightened up hurriedly. Yelling, he grabbed Nuanen with both his hands and pierced the man's throat, the blue blade passing through it smoothly. The man gave a choked groan, then went limp.

Ephian got to his feet hurriedly and joined Trellony's side, while the men stared at the both of them. He hurriedly drew Edoc'sil, while Trellony grabbed a shield from the ground and held it ready. Ephian gave a sigh of relief that she had not been killed, or even injured before he got there.

There were several dwarves fighting the men to the side, but Ephian and Trellony were still cut off from them. They stood, back to back, while the men around them just stared, unsure whether to attack or not. Ephian raised Edoc'sil, and muttered, "Wait for them to-"

"What do you think I am doing?" Trellony bit back, annoyed. "You took your time in coming here."

"Don't blame me for that, there's a bloody shade here." Ephian told her, and it seemed to have silenced her.

"Quit your squealing, midgets . . . let's get 'em!" One of the men shouted and charged at Trellony, swinging a falchion at her. Trellony blocked the blow with her shield, and slashed apart the man's arm. He recoiled in pain, and looked up in rage, then tossed his sword to the other hand and attacked again. Trellony cursed.

Three men charged at Ephian, who blocked one's hammer with Nuanen, kicked the other in the gut, and dodged the third's claymore. Swearing, he pushed away the man, who wielded the hammer, and attacked the one to the left, who had the claymore. Smacking the huge sword aside with Edoc'sil, he stabbed the man in the chest, then turned around and blocked a sword with Edoc'sil and twirled it around, moving it out of the way. Not stopping, he beheaded the man and jumped back, knowing that another man was just next to him. But the man raised his hammer and called for help.

Five more men joined the attack, and Ephian cursed. But Trellony emerged to his side, her eyes sharp, and it was the two of them, against the six men.

"You take those two, I'll take the remaining . . ." Ephian said, but she shook her head.

"Oh really?" Trellony replied, annoyed, she was clearly not used to taking orders. Ephian muttered an oath under his breath and ran at the nearest man, while Trellony blocked a blow from the side and retaliated with magic.

Ephian dodged a swing from a spiked mace, and kicked the man in the ankle, making him cry in pain. Not stopping, he beheaded the man hurriedly, while parrying another jab from the left, with Nuanen. Turning around, he muttered, "Brisingr!" and the man fell back with dark flames covering and roasting him alive. The men around him gave looks of fright and backed away then, surprised and intimidated by his ability to use magic.

 _They are scared of magic? . . . This gives me an idea . . ._ Ephian thought, and using Edoc'sil as a medium, he shouted, "Kveykva!" and as lightning engulfed the sword, he swung it around in an arc, making a ring of dark lightning around him and Trellony, killing and injuring all those who came in the way.

"Nice one!" Trellony shouted, but Ephian waved his hands, and swords, at Gedwëy, signaling her to come and pick them up. She seemed to have got the signal, because she hurriedly winged her way towards them.

Trellony turned to him and gave him a surprised look, but he nodded and looked up as the brown dragoness reached them and dived, grabbing them both in her front legs, and flapping up high.  
Ephian reached around and began to climb up her giant paw, and towards her back. Trellony was doing the same, and she reached the top before him, being quite fast and used to it. Ephian joined her at the back of her saddle, and said, "Gedwëy, follow those two, I have to get to Orúm." By 'those two' he meant Jiarha and Eridor.

Gedwëy growled in response and flew towards Jiarha, who, to Ephian's surprise and alarm, had landed and was a terror on the battle field. Eridor was just a little away from her, on the ground as well, burning men with the fire from his maw.

They flapped closer, and Ephian watched, searching. for Orúm. The cunning shade had probably got away from both the dragons, by telling his men to keep the dragons busy. _If he isn't there, then I must go to Orik, he will need my help . . ._ Ephian thought, and hurriedly said, "No, no, forget this, take me to the king, I think he will need us more at the moment . . ."

"Need you, you are the one with the experience in shades here." Trellony told him, and he nudged her with his hand.

"Ouch! What did I say wrong?" She asked him in a playful tone, but he shook his head, smiling.  
They flew over the battlefield, watching dwarves fighting men, and it seemed that it was mostly a fair match. But, as Ephian looked to the end of the cave, he saw that more and more men were still coming, although slowly. He heaved a sigh, this was going to be one long battle.

They reached the king, who was standing, Volund bloody in his hands, as a guard muttered something to his ear. The rest of the dwarves around him were fighting the men, creating a invulnerable wall between their king and the enemies.

Gedwëy landed on top of several of them, crushing them to death, and roared her rage, swinging her tail around. Ephian yelled, he wasn't strapped to the saddle, though Trellony was. He reacted on instinct and rapped his arm around her waist, much to his own surprise. He felt her stiffen and tense slightly, so he hurriedly loosened his grip. But, she grabbed his hand with her own and pulled it closer, more secure.

"Don't worry, Ephian . . . I won't let you fall." She told him, tightening her grip on his hand, and heat rushed to his face immediately. He wished nothing more than to pull his hand away, while Gedwëy burnt a couple more men and threw away five with her hind leg. Swinging around her paw, she bashed away three more. The men retreated from her hurriedly, and the king and his guards took over, covering Gedwëy from all sides.

"I think I better get down now . . ." Ephian muttered awkwardly, and she hurriedly let go of his hand, her face reddening. Ephian gave her an uncertain smile and jumped, landing on one knee. He got up and smiled and Orik, who smiled back, holding Volund tightly.

"How goes it, Ephian?" He shouted over all the noise of weapons and shields clashing.

"Not that bad! I came to join you, because I think that the shade is on his way towards you right now . . ." Ephian told him, and Orik stared at him, then brandished his hammer skillfully.

"Let him come, this will frighten him for sure." Orik said, and Ephian grinned.

"Pardon me, your highness, but your beard has a lot more white than black." Ephian muttered, half laughing now. Orik gave a small grunt, then turned around, grabbing a spear from the ground, and tossed it high in the air. Ephian watched it rise and fall, straight into the neck of one of the opposing soldiers.

"I am still young at heart! And what about you, even you are more than a hundred years old." Orik shouted back, and Ephian pointed at his own hair.

"Are there any whites there?" He asked the dwarf.

"I'll have a closer inspection later, right now, there are skulls to crack!" The king replied, and charged forward, while Ephian followed.

The second battle for Tronjheim was underway, and things seem fairly good for Ephian and Orik. But no one knew of the danger which came from below, and even worse was the person who led the deceit.


	74. Chapter 73

**Chapter 73: Surprises in Battle**

Ephian stood next to Orik, his arms crossed. At his request, the king had refrained from charging back into the battle, but instead had waited along with his Royal Guard, while Ephian kept an eye out for Orúm. After those few moments when he had spotted the Shade, Orúm had vanished completely from view. Neither Jiarha nor Eridor could figure out where he was.

"Ephian, I don't understand why you are asking me to stay behind . . . wouldn't it be much easier to spot the shade if we are in the front lines?" Orik asked him, swinging Volund around eagerly. "It's a tad bit boring to just stand here and watch my soldiers slaughter humans."

"Sire, trust me, it we stay here, we will be able to spot him if he comes for you . . . and if he tries to be invisible, he will be pushed and people will trip over him, I am sure we will notice that . . . and please tell your guards to watch your back, it wouldn't be good to be stabbed from behind after taking all these precautions." Ephian said.

Orik gave him a disapproving look, then gave the orders in dwarvish. Ephian kept looking around, alert. Ahead of him, the three dragons ravaged the battlefield, tearing men apart, setting entire units on fire. Ephian looked around again, and saw that the army of dwarves had pushed forward, pushing the men back. The battle was on the side of dwarves for now, because the men had no leader to give them orders, which left them to do what they thought was right, which was usually wrong.

* * *

Elva stood beneath Tronjheim, at one of the very places through which Durza had planned to bring Urgals. But, unfortunately, he had been slain before those Urgals had managed to get there, and after his death, they had just started attacking each other. And that was what explained the smell, which made Elva wrinkle her nose in distaste. The place smelled of rotten meat, and that was exactly what it was.

"Captain, we are going to go one level up from here. After I clear the roof, I want your men to follow me immediately. This is a swift and surprise attack, remember that." Elva told them coldly. She could sense disapproval, and fear in them. These emotions were common, but she could also sense suspicion and doubt from a source somewhere among the men.

She drew a long breath, then turned around and walked towards them. The men parted as she walked into their midst, towards the source of the emotion. It was a young man, hardly twenty years of age, and he was staring at her with wide eyes. She smirked, and reached forward and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Listen to me . . . I am not leading you to your death . . . it is your skill which will decide your outcome today. If you fight well, you can return to your family . . . if you don't, then you won't, it is entirely up to you." Elva told him, then stroked his cheek lightly and turned away, walking towards their captain.

"Get ready." Elva told them all, then pulled on her hood and aimed her hand at the roof. She stared at it, taking a deep breath. She had waited and traversed a lot just to get here, and she wanted to get the most out of this moment, "Jierda!"

* * *

Ephian was growing impatient now. There was no sign of Orúm at all. Wherever he looked, there were only soldiers. He was itching to get out of the circle of guards and join the battle properly. But that wasn't possible in the present circumstances.

"Ruined the entire battle, the bloody shade did . . . I should be out there fighting, with my dwarves." Orik said suddenly, brandishing Volund. "I can't stand here and watch them die, Ephian, these are mine people."

Ephian shook his head, "I know, your highness, but . . . we can't take a risk now, if you die, then it will take a lot of time before your council can select another ruler, and since Ebrithil Eragon is not here, there will be no one to speed up the process . . . we can't risk this, the dwarves need you, sire, but as a leader of the nation, not of a battle." Ephian told him, trying to persuade the king.  
Orik stared at him, disapproval clear on his face, "What kind of a king am I? I am letting my people die, while I myself am hiding behind soldiers . . . No Ephian. That doesn't make me a king . . . it makes me a tyrant, and I will not be such a person."

"Sire, they do what they do to protect you." Ephian persisted.

"They have done enough, now it is time for me to-" Orik was interrupted by a dwarf, a magician and member of Orik's Royal Guards, and he was in contact with one of the magicians inside the city.

"Sire, they have infiltrated the city!" He said hurriedly, and both Orik and Ephian turned to him with wide eyes.

"What are you saying?" Ephian asked him, surprised.

"They have managed to infiltrate the city, blasted a hole in the ground! We have to do something, sire, the dwarves there are too less against the forces." The magician said, almost pleading.

Orik turned to Ephian then, saying, "You will have to go there, Rider, and save those people . . . and do it now! Go!"

"But what about-?"Ephian began, but Orik waved it off.

"I don't care about myself, I want my people safe, you hear? Now go!" Orik said. "You and Jiarha can clear them out quickly, then you can return . . . I might be old, but I am pretty sure I will able to hold off the Shade for a while . . . and Trellony is here, she can also keep the Shade at bay." Orik gestured at the Rider as she appeared behind Ephian.

"Aye, I can . . . go, Ephian, I will keep an eye out for the Shade." Trellony told him.

Ephian stared at her, then at Orik, "If you as much as see him, call me immediately."

"Go!" Orik said hastily.

Ephian nodded, then hurried towards Jiarha, moving past soldiers. The dragoness was already winging her way towards him. _Let's make a short job of them. I don't want to leave Orik unguarded either._

Sure thing. Ephian said and stood there, waiting for her to come to him. She dived then, her paw outstretched. Ephian jumped and managed to grab one of the talons as she flew just above him. He hurriedly climbed onto her leg, which she then raised to her back. He jumped off, and hurried to the saddle, grabbing the neck spike.

 _Do you know where they are?_ Jiarha asked him, making him scratch the back of his head as well.

 _Come to think of it, I don't . . . well, they are somewhere in the city. I am pretty sure they are making enough of a commotion for us to notice._ Ephian replied. Reaching into one of the saddle bags, he pulled out a helm and wore it, tying the knot at his chin.

They flew for a couple of minutes, going over the walls of the city. Jiarha flew towards the Vol'Turin, and circled around, searching for the place which had been infiltrated. The city was dark, there were hardly any lights, so all he had to do was to search for a source of light, which would be . . .

 _There!_ Ephian said suddenly, and Jiarha turned to the left. Down below, in a wide alley, three lines of dwarven warriors charged towards a circle of men, who seemed to be guarding some sort of a hole in the ground. Ephian cursed as he saw that more men were filing out of it, like ants from their underground tunnels.

Jiarha roared as she dived towards the men. The place was wide enough for her, but she didn't land immediately. The dwarves cheered and stopped running as she swerved ahead of them, and watched as she rained fire upon the men.

There was a chorus of yells, and the men fell to the ground, crying in anguish, as their bodies burnt. Jiarha swooped up, then dived again, this time landing on the ground, in front of the men who were still alive, and the ones who were climbing out.

They jumped back in as they saw the dragon. Jiarha grinned, while Ephian laughed. _Looks like they haven't seen a dragon before._

 _This will be the last time they see anything._ Jiarha said, and crawled forward. _I'll breathe fire into that hole itself, that will kill all of them._

 _Now that's a great idea! Let's do it!_ Ephian replied enthusiastically.

But suddenly, the men parted, and a slim figure appeared in front of them, wearing dark armor and having a hood pulled up. There was a purple sword in her hand. Ephian was sure that this was a woman.

"Rider! Tell your dragon to back off . . . I challenge you to fight me, alone, leaving my men out of this." She shouted, brandishing her sword at him. "There's no need to shed so much blood."

Ephian raised an eyebrow. _Who is this? She speaks as if she has known me all along._

 _We'll see._ Jiarha said, then roared in reply.

The woman didn't move, neither did the men behind her. Ephian sighed and jumped off Jiarha, walking ahead of her and standing with his hand on the hilt of his sword, "Who are you?"

"That is of no consequence, I want to duel you." The woman persisted.

"You really think I will accept? I am no fool, miss, and I know that this is just a distraction so that Orúm can attack the king . . . I have no intention of letting the king die." Ephian shouted back at her.

 _Let's get them!_ Ephian told Jiarha, who growled, crouching and unfurling her wings. She jumped forwards then, heading straight for the woman. But the woman jumped to the side, dodging Jiarha as she swiped at her. Ephian could hear metallic boots coming towards them, and he looked to the right to see a unit of dwarves heading towards them. "Help her clear those men out!" Ephian yelled, pointing at Jiarha. The dwarves nodded and charged.

The woman then ran around Jiarha, she was extremely fast, and headed for Ephian, her sword drawn. Ephian drew both of his own, and took his stance, while Jiarha turned around. _I'll take care of her, you handle those men._ Ephian told her.

 _Right._ Jiarha replied.

"Rider, you made a big mistake! My men can overrun this entire city." She told him, while Ephian stared at her. There was something extremely strange about this woman, which he couldn't help but notice. He felt as if he had seen her somewhere, but couldn't remember. He was sure that if he saw her face, he would be able to discern something.

 _Maybe if I pull my own helm off, she might do the same with her hood._ Ephian thought, then sheathed Nuanen and hurriedly removed the knot which he had tied. He pulled off the helm and threw it to the side.

The woman stared at him then, she had stopped moving. Ephian drew Nuanen again, but ahead of him, the woman suddenly yelled in pain, dropping her sword, her hands reaching to her face. Ephian eyed her in surprise.

 _Do I look so ugly that her eyes popped out when she saw me?_ Ephian thought, then banged his swords, making the woman looked up at him.

"Come on, what happened to your disposition now?" Ephian asked her, but she stooped and grabbed her sword, pointing it at him.

"Stay away from me . . . stay back!" She shouted, then turned around and staggered, screaming. Ephian hurried towards her, wondering what was going on. But the woman took one last look at him, then ran towards the right, heading away from him, "Don't come closer!"

"Wait, we were getting along so well!" Ephian said, laughing. "I was even going to name one of my daughters after you, after I . . . wait a minute. . ." Ephian trailed off as he saw the woman running away. From where he stood, she seemed just like Elva had when she had been trying to run from him, while they had been dueling.

 _Is it possible? . . . she was abducted by Orúm after all. What if he managed to, I don't know; make her forget everything or something like that?_ Ephian thought.

 _I am a little busy, Ephian . . . why don't you go and find out? I am pretty sure you can handle one woman, who already finds it unbearably horrible to look at you._ Jiarha told him, and he looked around to see her slashing apart three men with her talons, at the same time, throwing away two more with her tail. He turned to see the woman go out of the alley, and turn at a corner.

 _I think I will._ Ephian replied, and chased after her.

 _Be careful._ Jiarha said.

 _You too._ Ephian told her, turning at the corner. He ran as fast as he could, and he could see the woman ahead of him, quite far away now. He put on a burst of speed, muttering the spell to increase his speed. After a few moments, he began to sprint much faster, swiftly covering the distance between him and the woman.

* * *

Elva turned left as soon as she could, then looked back to see the Rider running after her. He was a lot faster than she had anticipated. But then again, he had been extremely different than what she had thought earlier.

Her head ached with intense pain, which had come up as soon as she had seen his face. Her brain seemed to have exploded, her thoughts running wild. Elva was almost sure that this man had some connection with her past. Images and visions came to her mind, which she couldn't place properly.

 _Running, sweat rolling down from her forehead, this very Rider next to her. Entering a dark cave, and stopping to talk to him._

Elva screamed and ran harder as the Rider came closer. She sprinted forward through, what seemed to be, a marketplace. She leapt over a few carts and kept running. She could hear heavy footfalls behind her, and tried to run faster. But another flurry images followed the previous one.

 _A huge hole in the ground. She was arguing with the man for some reason. The both of them levitating across, then continuing on some sort of 'mission'._

"Argh!" Elva shouted as she fell over a barrel and to the ground. She rolled and stood up hurriedly, then saw the Rider jump over the carts as well. She turned around and continued running, trying to get away. She couldn't get too close to him, she feared that she would die from the pain.

 _Two shadowy figures in front of her. She was being securely held by strong arms. It was the Rider._

Elva stopped running then, "W-What? . . . I was in l-league with him?" Behind her, the Rider came closer, drawing his swords. She stumbled forwards, then began running again, determined to not get caught by him.

 _The Rider killing both the men. Both of them getting blasted back by another person. Weightlessness as the both of them fell into empty space. She was being held by the Rider again, his arms felt extremely safe._

Elva grabbed her head as she trotted forwards, screaming, "What is happening to me? . . . What is happening?" She fell to the ground once more, tripping over a pile of rope. She cursed, and stood up hurriedly.

The Rider was almost onto her, she had to move. She hurried forward once more, but suddenly, there was a blur next to her, and in an instant, the Rider came ahead of her, pointing a black sword at her. She stopped and stared at him, right into his eyes. Right into his warm, deep eyes.

Pain shot across her head once more, but this time she drew her sword and held it at the ready. The Rider drew two of them, the other one light blue in color. She gasped as she saw it, backing away from him hurriedly. The pain in her head was unbearable, she was losing her eyesight. Everything was growing dark.

 _She was being held by two rough pairs of hands, which were hoisting her in the air. "Boys, throw that girl into the pool." Someone shouted to the side. She fell, and she felt cold liquid engulfing. It was dark everywhere even then._

She shook her head, her eyesight returning, this time to see the Rider staring at her curiously, "Are you a warrior, or something else? Like a makeshift, you know, just a diversion who-"

"Die!" She shot back, and charged, swinging her sword at him powerfully. But he just moved to the side, dodging the blade completely. She fumed and turned around, charging at him once more. She held the sword above her head with both her hands, and brought it down with all her strength, but the Rider blocked it easily with his own sword, a grin coming to his face.

Elva tried pushing his sword aside, but she wasn't able to even move it.

 _What is happening?_ Elva thought as more pain raced across the depths of her mind, making her head spin. She couldn't feel anything within the Rider, but only pain, which seemed to be the source of her own pain. She hurriedly blocked off her mind, retreating deep within herself.

She sighed gratefully as the pain in her head stopped. But suddenly, a blade came to her neck. It was light blue, which made a shiver run down her spine.

"Drop your sword . . ." The Rider said; he was the one wielding both the weapons. Elva stared at him, then let go off the purple sword, letting it fall to the ground with a loud clatter. The Rider smiled, but his eyes widened when he looked more closely at the sword.

"That's . . . that's a Rider's sword!" He said, then looked up at her in surprise. She backed away from him slowly, but he sheathed the blue sword and reach out towards her. "Stop! I want to see your face, pull down your hood."

"No." Elva replied, but he jumped forward pushed the cloth back, making her face visible. The Rider stopped then, when he saw her, his eyes at first confused, then gradually widening in shock and surprise.

"E-Elva?"


	75. Chapter 74

**Chapter 74: Ephian's pain**

"Elva! . . . It really is you!" Ephian said, staring at her with shock, staggering back. "Where have you been? And why are you with Orúm?"

"How do you know my name?" Elva asked him back, backing away from him. "And why do you care about that?"

"Listen to me, you are Elva Starbrow! You are a Rider!" Ephian shouted at her. "Don't you remember? We came here, hunting a group of rebels, we found their base and a pool of wild magic. We were attacked by Orúm! Don't you remember any of it?"

Elva looked at him for a while, for a while then, she seemed to be surprised about something, "No . . . That never happened . . . You are making it up!"

"I swear, on myself and on my dragon; that it really happened." Ephian replied in the Ancient Language.

"No, I am from Alaela. I am the greatest warrior of my master's army, and his lieutenant. I manage his affairs in war." Elva replied, but her voice wasn't so firm now, though.

"No you aren't! You are a Rider, you are from Alagaesia . . . wait a minute, did you just say Alalea?" Ephian asked her sharply.

Elva turned away then, while Ephian looked at the ground, muttering to himself. Elva looked down as well, and saw her sword there, if she could just reach it. "Alalea . . . Darn! Orúm is from Alalea?" Ephian asked.

"Go to hell, Rider!" Elva shouted and dived for her sword. She grabbed it and rolled around, holding it up. Ephian backed away, hurriedly drawing his own weapons.

"Listen to me, we don't need to fight . . ." Ephian stated, holding his swords to the side. Elva shook her head, and prepared to charge at him. "Please, listen . . .Wait!" He yelled when she bent her knees.

"Why should I?" Elva asked him.

Ephian stared hard at her, then threw both his swords away, letting them fall to the ground with a loud clatter, "Because I will stay unarmed and at your mercy, all I ask is for you to listen to me."

"You mean you surrender?" Elva asked him sharply.

Ephian looked down then. _Jiarha, I need your help . . . be quiet though, don't let Elva see you._

 _Elva?_ Jiarha said, surprised.

 _Yes, it is her, the woman whom I chased . . . please, come here, but don't let her see you._ Ephian said, looking at Elva.

 _Why?_ Jiarha asked.

 _You'll understand once you get here . . . are those men taken care of?_ Ephian said.

 _Completely, just some stragglers are left, the dwarves can handle them. I'll be there in a minute._ Jiarha replied.

"Rider?" Elva asked, taking one step forward. "Do you surrender?"

"I . . . do." Ephian answered, sighing. "But please, listen to what I have to say, before leaving."

Elva watched him then, long and hard. Ephian could feel sweat coming down his brow. She looked down, then said, "Alright, fine . . . but be quick."

"Elva, you are a Rider . . ." Ephian said, and she glared at him.

"I am not!" She shouted.

"Here, see this!" Ephian shouted back and showed her his right palm, which had the silver Gedwëy Ignasia. "Check your hand." A look of extreme exclamation came to Elva's face as she looked at her own right hand as well, which had the same mark. "You see? That's the mark of the Riders . . . I have it, you have it, everyone who is a Rider has it."

Elva stared at it, then at him, "I don't believe you."

"The mark on your head." Ephian said, walking closer to her. "The silver mark, it was given to you by a dragon named Saphira, in this very city, where you were born."

"I wasn't born here." Elva shot back.

"You were . . . and you became a Rider . . . you can sense other people's minds! Can't you sense mine, can't you feel what I feel?" Ephian said, hoping that she did.  
Elva shook her head, "How do you know all this?"

"Just answer me."

"I don't want to feel anything from you . . . I don't really care." Elva said.

"You should, I-" Ephian began, but he was interrupted by something.

 _Ephian! We need you!_ Ephian heard someone say in his mind, stopping him in midsentence.

"What?" Ephian said out loud, making Elva look at curiously.

 _It's the Shade! He's attacking! Hurry up . . ._ The voice said. Ephian recognized it as Trellony's. He looked at Elva, the woman whom he dearly loved, then said, "And look at this . . . Orúm has just attacked the king, and he has left you here all alone, against a Rider, a dragon, and units of dwarves. He has left you to die."

Elva scowled at him, "You are speaking nonsense."

"I speak the truth!" Ephian exclaimed in the Ancient Language, his temper flaring. "He has abandoned you to your death. But no, I am not going to let you get killed by these dwarves Elva, you aren't yourself right now! You aren't the person whom I used to know, someone has tampered with your mind . . . your eyes, they used to be blue, like the oceans, not purple . . . your hair were always free, never tied like they are now . . ."

Ephian stepped back. "I don't know what has happened to you, but you are going to return to me, you are going to become the woman I . . . knew."

Elva stared at him in shock, because she knew that he wasn't lying now. He really meant it, he was speaking in the Ancient Language. "H-How is this possible?"

Ephian stared at her, sympathy and love for Elva beginning to take control of him. All he wanted to do, at that moment, was embrace Elva. He wanted to tell her how much he had missed her, how much he loved her and how he should have confessed this so long ago. But he couldn't, he had other responsibilities, other people who needed him. He had to let her go now, put her aside so that he could save what mattered more.

Suddenly, Jiarha landed behind Ephian. _Come on! Orik needs us._

"Elva, please, stay here . . . hide somewhere, I will return for you . . . please trust me. Eridor, your dragon, is here. Once you meet him, you will recall everything. Please, just wait." Ephian said, picking up his swords, then hurriedly climbing onto Jiarha.  
He looked around, and to his extreme pain and shock, Elva was missing. She had just disappeared into thin air.

 _I was a little worried about who you were talking to._ Jiarha told him.

 _What, didn't you see her there?_ Ephian asked her.

 _She ran off as soon as you turned away, I thought you noticed._ Jiarha answered him, exasperated. She took off into the air, heading for the battlefield.

 _No, I didn't . . . right, that was pretty stupid of me._ Ephian said.

 _Very._ Jiarha replied.

 _Blast it! I don't believe it, she has changed sides and she doesn't remember anything . . . Eridor won't be happy about this, not at all._ Ephian thought, guilt and sorrow plaguing his mind.

 _True . . . but right now, we must save the king, so focus._ Jiarha said.

 _As you say._ Ephian replied.

Jiarha dived towards the armies, and Ephian saw Orik at the front lines, blocking a blow from the shade. The king heaved mightily, pushing the shade back.

Trellony jumped at him from behind, but the shade moved to the side, dodging the attack. Jiarha pulled out of the dive, and Ephian jumped off her, rolling to reduce the impact of the fall.

"Good timing Ephian!" Trellony shouted, while Orúm parried a blow from Volund. Ephian smiled at her, while Orúm cursed.

"You again! I thought I got rid of you the last time!" Orúm said, but Ephian charged at him.

"It should have been the other way round, Orúm." Ephian replied. "I'll carry on from here!" Ephian shouted at the others, slashing at the Shade with Nuanen. Orúm blocked the blow, and Ephian hurriedly placed Edoc'sil behind Orúm's sword, locking his sword between Nuanen and Edoc'sil.

Orúm hissed in frustration, and tried to push him back, but Ephian had placed his feet firmly in the ground. Orúm heaved forward again, and managed to push Ephian back slightly.

Ephian yelled and slashed Edoc'sil forwards, gashed Orúm on his shoulder. He ducked as the shade swung at his neck, and jumped back, holding his swords ready.

"Curse you, Rider!" Orúm shouted, swinging his sword at him.

"No, curse you! What have you done to Elva?" Ephian asked him furiously, parrying the blow and retaliating with a jab from his other sword.

"I have done nothing, I didn't even know she would return." Orúm replied, dodging the jab.

"Return? From where, Alalea?" Ephian asked, stepping back.  
Ephian, stop talking and get rid of him already! Jiarha said. Orúm ignored Ephian's question and stabbed at him. Ephian parried the blow and tried to kick the Shade in the leg. But he missed, and narrowly managed to block a blow from the shade.

"I see you met Elva . . . did you give her a kiss?" Orúm taunted.  
Ephian ignored the taunt, but fury grew in his mind, enraged about the fact that he had nothing that could help him get Elva back to their side. Ephian pushed the shade back, but he cursed as Orúm lunged at his leg with his sword, slashing his thigh. Ephian yelled in pain and jumped back hurriedly, "You bastard!"

Orúm smirked, "Looks like your words have changed with your friends . . . My master was ever so pleased with Elva's attitude, especially after the night she spent-"

"Die!" Ephian bellowed, running forward again, not caring about his wound. He swung his sword at Orúm's head, then pulled it down at the last moment, getting the shade on the hip. Orúm just made a 'clucking' sound and kicked Ephian in the stomach, making him fall back.

"Looks like Elva softened you after all, you aren't as strong as you were earlier . . . and here I was, thinking that I had found a worthy opponent in this . . . filthy land, full of helpless people." Orúm told him.

"You think we are helpless? Speak for yourself!" A voice shouted from the side, and Volund appeared, bashing Orúm's head, making him fly off the ground. He landed several yards away, cursing.

Ephian looked up at Orik, who laughed, "What say you now, Ephian?"

"You are quite younger than you look, Sire." Ephian said. Orik gave a satisfied smile, then turned to Orúm, who was getting up. He got to his feet and laughed slightly.

"Looks like you have more to you than meets the eye, eh, shorty?" Orúm said, scratching the place where he had been hit. Suddenly, one of Orik's royal guards attacked him, yelling in rage at the taunt, but Orúm grabbed the blade of the sword between his two fingers, and stabbed the attacker through the heart, making the dwarf choke, then go limp.

"I will kill you, king, just the way I killed him . . . you won't even be able to beg for mercy, the only thing you will be able to do is squeal." Orúm hissed, pulling out the dead body of the dwarf from his sword, and letting him fall to the ground.

Orik glared at him, enraged at the death of the dwarf, then hunched his shoulders and held Volund tightly, "Bring it!"

"Oh, I will!" Orúm said, and ran forward, faster than Orik had expected. In the king's vision, the Shade had now become a blur as he moved from left to right, faster than his eye could follow. The king didn't even realize that the shade was too close for comfort until it was too late. Orúm jumped, higher than any man could, and slashed down, his sword heading straight for the king's neck. Orik was too slow to react, Volund wasn't even halfway raised to block the attack.

Orúm grinned in triumph, his sword nearing the king's neck, bringing forth the king's death. This was what he had been sent to do, this was what he was meant to do. After this, none of this war made any sense to him, after this, he was free to do what he willed . . . .

"Adurna!" Trellony shouted.

"Kveykva!" Ephian cried.

What happened next was a moment of extreme rage and disappointment for Orúm. Water struck him and his sword from the left, pushing it away from the king's neck. Orúm sailed over the king, then the lighting struck, water aggravating the effect. He yelled as electricity surged through his bloodless body, moving through the unused veins. His neck was pulled back, and he shrieked, a shriek full of madness and bloodlust. He screamed not out of pain, but out of rage. He had come so close to gaining his freedom, he had come so close to finishing his mission, but he had let it slip by a mere mistake of haste.

He fell to the ground in a scramble, rolling, out of control, until he came to a stop several yards away. He gasped, the lighting still affecting him. Ephian gave a sigh of relief, nodding at Orik, who nodded back.

Trellony smiled as she came to Ephian's side, pushing his hand away from the wound on his leg, "Let me see this."

"Nice one, I wouldn't have been able to save him on my own." Ephian said, looking at her. She winked back.

"Any time, Ephian, now hold still . . ." Trellony said.

Ephian looked up to see Orúm get to his feet, swearing at the top of his voice. He yelled in rage once more, then turned to Ephian, "We will slay you, Rider! We will slay you! We shall return for you!"

Ephian could feel his leg itching as Trellony worked her magic, and he shuddered slightly as he saw what had become of Orúm, "I . . . what?"

"Now, we know what has happened! Now we know the truth!" Orúm yelled. "We have been tricked, but we do not care . . . You shall die, by our hands, Rider . . . We shall not let down out pride! And then, Crugan shall follow you!" Orúm shouted at him.

"Crugan? . . . Now, who is Crugan? You master?" Ephian asked him. He wished he couldn't have. Orúm yelled his rage once more, tearing at his own face.

"Flesh! He bound us in flesh! We shall not be imprisoned . . . No! We must go, vengeance can wait . .. we must get free . . yes, we must go . . . follow us." Orúm blabbered, looking from left to right.

"Its done, Ephian . . ." Trellony said, getting to her feet.

"Thank you, Trellony . . ." Ephian told her.

"Go back to your hellish den, shade, you shall have no satisfaction here!" Orik yelled.

Orúm swore at him as well, but retreated hurriedly as Ephian began to walk towards him. "What have you done to Elva? . . . answer me, now!" Ephian shouted at him.

"She is . . . she is . . . ours! She shall become one of us! Yes . . . she shall! And then, we shall have her for ourselves, just as we always wanted." Orúm said, laughing and pointing at Ephian. "You shall never have her, Rider, because she is ours."

"How . . . romantic? I have never heard of a shade with loving emotions." Trellony said, staring at Orúm.

"Go to hell, Orúm! I will free her from you, I swear I will." Ephian shouted back at him, then charged. But Orúm turned tail and sprinted, pushing past dwarves and men, running as fast as he could. He yelled, "Retreat! Our men, retreat, we have been defeated, so RETREAT."

"Bloody hell!" Ephian said, coming to a stop as a group if dwarves barred his way, watching the shade move swiftly. "I have to catch him."

"Don't be an idiot . . ." Trellony said, grabbing his hand tightly.

"Leave me, I have to do this! He has Elva, I have to free her." Ephian said, trying to get his hand free.

"You can't do that, not now . . . you can't chase him across a battling army, you'll get killed, Ephian. Wait, another way will come up." Trellony said. Ephian shook his head, staring at the fleeing shade. This was the third time that Orúm was getting away.

"I can't just let him go, he will. come back for more . . . and we might not be able to stop him the next time." Ephian said.

Ephian, look at him! He has finally gone crazy, he won't do anything now. Jiarha cut in. She and Eridor were flying towards him as well.

"And his army in retreating as well . . . he is done for, Ephian, he won't return now, he doesn't have the strength or the man power." Orik added.

Ephian just glared as the men pulled back, moving away swiftly, heading for the caves. Many of them fell to the arrows shot by dwarves, and the number which managed to escape, along with Orúm, was considerably lesser than the force that had arrived.

Ephian cursed, stamping the ground, then he turned around yelling in frustration. The dwarves were cheering over their victory, but Ephian pushed past the dwarves which were coming in his way, and hurried into the city, panting and infuriated.

A little away, Orúm limped, men following his lead. He had been defeated, he had been stunned and he had lost his battle. But he wasn't out of the war yet, and he was sure about that.

"Freedom! We must get free . . . we must break our shackles . . . we must go to Alalea, we must go to Ureimes . . ." He blabbered to himself, not stopping as he moved forward, not caring who followed.


	76. Chapter 75

**Chapter 75: A little confession**

It was night time, a week and a half had passed since the Lead Rider had left Tierm, but only a day had passed since the day of the attack. Tierm had been in an extremely bad condition, many houses had been destroyed in the initial barrage from the catapults, and now the homeless came to the castle, demanding shelter. Their demands had been met with kindly, although Angrenost had allowed them to take shelter within the castle walls.

Angrenost had not slept for the last two days as he tried to help the governing of the city as best he could. Right now, he was standing in front of the Governor, Urgrin, in his study, extremely annoyed. The man was as adamant as he was money-minded, and extremely good at driving the discussion away from the topic.

"But my lord, we cannot do anything about these people . . ." Urgrin was saying. "They do not have any skills, no education of any sorts and no work which they can do for wages to fill their little stomachs."

"Is this the truth that you are telling me, or just an excuse for your impertinence?" Angrenost asked him, his arms folded and his face tensed. He had contacted his father just after contacting Murtagh three hours ago, and his father had laughed first at the story Angrenost had told him, calling it a nice try to fool him. But when Angrenost had sworn at the top of his voice that he was telling the truth, his father had grown sombre.

 _"The truth, you say?" his father had asked, and Angrenost had nodded, then pointed at his face and clothes. "I guess that explains why you haven't shaven and why your clothes are covered in dust and slime . . . change them, for crying out loud!"_

 _"I will father, but you have to ready the defences of Carvahall, and tell all the soldiers that you are serious and there really is a threat . . . most of them are asleep on their watch, I noticed that in Tierm, and that was partly a reason why the attack could have taken place so easily were it not for me." Angrenost had told him, a small smile on his face._

 _"Hmm, the Governor told me . . . a huge bolt inside his bedroom, wasn't it?" Orothrim had asked him, his eyes narrow and words sharp._

 _"Not purposely, father, but-" Angrenost had begun to say, but Orothrim had just waved his hand._

 _"No no, leave it for now, I better go and inform the general about this, have him ready the defences. And you teach that fat man a lesson for me." His father had said, giving Angrenost a small grin then disappearing from the mirror._

"My lord, are you with me? . . ." A voice said, bringing Angrenost back to the present. He shuddered slightly and raised his eyebrows at Urgrin, who had a questioning look on his face.

"O-of course . . ." Angrenost said, then failed to stifle a mighty yawn, showing that he was extremely tired. "I am just exhausted . . . but whatever you said, I want the condition of these people improved . . . enlist them anywhere in the castle, or in the shops, or give them some other work, but I must not see a single beggar on the streets." Angrenost said, authority in his voice now. "They deserve much better, their fore-fathers overthrew Galbatorix, which is why you are the Governor of the city, do you hear?"

Urgrin stared at him, then stood up and nodded, saying, "I do, Prince Angrenost, and I will try my best . . . just give me some time."

Angrenost stared at Urgrin, with tired eyes, then decided that he didn't have the energy to argue with a hardened politician anymore, and nodded. Urgrin bowed, and sat down again. "Can I help you with anything else?" The Governor asked him, but the door opened up suddenly. Angrenost turned around slowly, his shoulders hunched.

A woman in a green dress walked in, her dark brown hair flowing openly behind her. Angrenost smiled slightly, it was Leliana.

"Angrenost . . . I need a little help . . ." Leliana said, not looking at the Governor. Angrenost nodded, his eyes hardly open.

"Of course . . ." Angrenost replied in a faint voice, and Leliana raised an eyebrow. "I am exhausted, nothing else . . . a little rest would be good for me, but anyway, what is it?"

Leliana stared at him, then said, "I . . . don't have any quarters to stay in, my house was destroyed in the attack . . . the entire area was destroyed actually . . . Is there anyway you could . . ."

"Right away . . . Governor!" Angrenost said, turning to the man who sat in front of him, looking at both of them sceptically. "Can you provide her with a room to stay in?"

Urgrin stared at him, then at Leliana, then back at Angrenost, "I am sorry, my lord, but the entire castle is filled with people who lost their homes . . . we are full, and there are more than five people in each room . . . I don't know how many more we can accommodate . . . the soldiers also have families."

Angrenost stared at him, then at Leliana, "I will arrange for something then . . . and I want a funeral for all the men who died in this battle, many of them died defending me, some were by my side . . . and others died keeping those invaders from getting to your room after you . . . accidentally lost the keys to your door." Angrenost said sharply, and Urgrin went slightly red in the face, but he covered it by rubbing his face with handkerchief.

"There was nothing I could do . . . my lord I-" Urgrin began, but Angrenost raised his hand, silencing him.

"Just arrange for the funeral, tonight . . . I want all our great soldiers to be paid the respects they rightfully deserve, even in death." Angrenost told him impatiently, then walked out of the room. Leliana gave the Governor a look of distaste, then followed the Prince.

 _What a lazy fool! I am not surprised that he has only money in his head, nothing else._ Angrenost said, and turned around to see Leliana walking alongside him, staring at him.

"Oh right, about a place for you to stay . . . I . . ." Angrenost stopped, stammering slightly. "I don't know where you can . . ." Angrenost said uncertainly, staring at her, and she stared back at him, a disappointed look on her face, then turned away, sighing.

"Its fine Angrenost, I will share it with someone . . . but the only room with some space in it is being shared by three or four men . . . looks like I will have to go there." Leliana said, beginning to walk ahead of him.

Angrenost stared at her, then suddenly shouted, "What?! No! No way!" Angrenost hurried forward and blocked her way. "There's no way I'll let you do that . . . no! . . . listen to me, I have an idea."

Leliana stared at him, eyebrow raised, "And what is that?"

"Why . . . Why don't you share my quarters . . . there's enough room for the both of us, and . . . it would be better than staying with those men, wouldn't it?" Angrenost asked her, his eyes extremely concerned.

Leliana looked at him for a while, then said, "I . . . I don't know, Angrenost." She did seem extremely uncertain, and Angrenost stared at her, quiet. "If you insist . . . then fine." She said it in a very sweet voice.

"Err . . . I, err . . . I do." Angrenost said, uncertain about how he should reply to her.

"Then let's go, you can help me get my things . . ." Leliana said, and Angrenost nodded. Leliana strode ahead of him, and he followed, scratching his face. His beard had become extremely thick now, and covered his chin and cheeks completely, making him look extremely wild and battle-hardy. Angrenost was neither, and he preferred to keep it that way.

 _I should shave as soon as I can . . . let the people see me as I really am, not the way I have become._ Angrenost thought to himself, then shook his head and kept following Leliana, watching her open hair fly behind her as she strode swiftly ahead.

"Where are all your things, exactly?" Angrenost asked, curious.

"Just a little more ahead . . ." Leliana said, and there was silence between them for a some time after that, until they reached a small room, and Leliana stopped outside of it.

"In you go . . ." She said, pointing at the door. Angrenost raised an eyebrow, and she nodded and gestured at the door again.

He opened the door slowly and looked in. There were two men, a woman and two children inside. Angrenost gaped at them in surprise, he thought there wouldn't be anyone inside. The men were wearing armour, and two small boys were hugging one man's legs, laughing merrily. The other man, much younger, was watching them with a smile.

It took them a moment to notice Angrenost, who just smiled and entered the room, followed by Leliana. She walked in and gestured at Angrenost, "This is the Prince of the kingdom, shouldn't you wish him?"

Angrenost turned to her suddenly, and then back again as the men looked up in surprise, and the woman stood up hurriedly, while the children backed away slowly.

"No, please don't . . . I was just . .. trying to help her take her things . . . carry on." Angrenost said, waving his hand from side to side hurriedly. But they kept looking at him uncertainly, then turned to Leliana. As soon as they did, the younger man's face brightened up and he stared at her in downright astonishment, while the older man just nodded at her and turned away.

Angrenost gave the younger man a curious look, but it seemed that the man didn't notice him, so he turned to Leliana. He nearly jumped as he saw that she was staring back at the man with equal amazement.

 _What's going on? . . . Why are they goggling at each other?_ Angrenost thought, looking from one person to another.

"L-Leliana? Is that you?" The man asked her, nearly stammering, his voice filled with joy and surprise. Angrenost stared at him now, frowning. The man was light haired, and his hair was cut short and in an untidy mess. He was wearing leather armour, with a sword belted to his hip, and a bow and quiver on his back.

"Danaher? . . . it really is you!" Leliana shouted in excitement and ran forward, pushing Angrenost away, and embraced the man tightly, surprising the man as well, who gave a laugh after a moment, then picked her up and swung her around.

Angrenost stared at them blankly. There were butterflies in his stomach for some reason he that could not fathom, as he saw Leliana laughing in that man's, Danaher's, arms.

Danaher set Leliana down and stared at her, his hands on her waist, and hers on his shoulders, "Where have you been all these months? I haven't seen you in such a long time . . . I was beginning to wonder whether I would ever see you again, then there was this attack on Tierm, and-" He fell silent when Leliana reached up and kissed him suddenly.

Angrenost's frown deepened into a scowl, and he turned away immediately, scratching his beard. _Bloody hell._ He thought, knocked out of his wits at the scene. He could almost hear their lips making sounds, and he cringed, trying not to imagine what the sight might look like.

 _She already is with someone . . . then why does she need me, I can be off from here._ Angrenost thought, then began to walk away, but Leliana called him.

"Angrenost, wait a moment . . . I want you to meet someone!" Leliana said, and he turned around, pulling up a fake smile that he was so used to because of handling men of high positions.

"I was wondering when you'd consider telling me what was going on . . ." Angrenost said a little coldly, but the couple didn't notice, they were too engrossed with each other. Leliana pulled Danaher towards Angrenost, and smiled brightly.

"Angrenost, this is . . . Danaher, someone I have known for a very long time . . ." Leliana said, and Danaher raised an eyebrow at her.

"I can see that." Angrenost said simply, then smiled and nodded at them. "Excuse me, Leliana . . . I have to go . . . Danaher, you do have a place to stay in, don't you?" Angrenost asked him, smiling as best as he could and turning to him.

"Well, yes . . . I do . . ." Danaher replied uncertainly, and Angrenost nodded at Leliana after that.

"Good, then you can move in with him, right? . . . you both can be together as well." Angrenost told them both, and they looked at each other, then kissed again, their lips joining. Angrenost stared at them for a moment, then cleared his throat loudly. "Well?"

They parted after a moment, and Danaher nodded at him, grinning, "Of course . . . anything for my Lily . . ."

Angrenost nodded at the couple then turned around and walked out of the door, not bothering to close it quietly, just banging the door instead, then walking down the corridor, almost fuming.

He passed several men and women, and they hurriedly parted to let him pass, and some even saluted him, but he didn't reply, just kept his head down and walked ahead, his cloak billowing. He was sure he got curious looks from behind, but he could hardly care less. He was stunned.

He couldn't believe what had happened back there, Leliana already was with someone? She already had someone who could help her out? He suppressed his urge to yell his head out as questions popped in his mind.

 _Then why was she coming to me? . . ._ Angrenost thought to himself, angry and a little confused. _Was she trying to use me? Take disadvantage of my position? . . . No, she would never do that . . . wouldn't she? Who am I to her anyway? And I promised Heslant that I would help her, there's no harm for her in making the most out of such promises._

Angrenost turned again and headed for the flight of stairs, heading for the next floor. All he intended to do now was to get to his room, take off his stinking clothes, and take a nice, long nap. The rest was up to the Governor now, Angrenost had told him what he was supposed to do.

But suddenly, he heard footsteps following his own, and he slowed down, finally stopping when he reached the stairs, then looked back, wondering who it was. This way led only to the quarters he, and other member's of the King's family used. But he discarded the thought, he wanted to give these quarters to the people as well, and just keep one room for himself, but the Governor had not allowed it.

 _"What would be the use of those special quarters, if people knew exactly where to find you . . ."_ He had said.

Angrenost shook his head as drowsiness began to engulf him, now that he had stopped moving. He yawned and stretched mightily, then hurriedly stood straight as a person came around the corner.

It was Leliana, and Angrenost stared at her with an eyebrow raised as she came close to him hurriedly. "Yes? Was there something else?" Angrenost asked her, wondering why she had come. He was sure he hadn't missed anything. Leliana stared at him for a while, then dipped her head, but Angrenost was sure that she was smiling as she did. A wave of confusion passed over him, "Leliana?"

". . . Angrenost, I just wanted to . . . well, I just wanted to thank you for saving and helping me back then, I never actually got the chance , as I was still in . . . shock about what happened to Heslant." Leliana said slowly, and Angrenost nodded, even though she didn't see him do it. "And that . . . are you angry?" She asked him suddenly and looked up, making him jump.

"No, why would I be angry?" Angrenost lied hurriedly, even though he was sure she had already noticed the change in his attitude. There was nothing he could about it now though, he had been extremely surprised at that time.

"You aren't? I thought . . . I thought you were under the impression I was using you." Leliana said, and Angrenost stared at her, preferring just to be silent. "You are sure? . . . you do seem different."

"Probably because I am tired, and I need to sleep . . . I want to get some rest before the funeral today . . . and we begin the march to Carvahall, day after tomorrow, so I need to be at my best." Angrenost told her, and gave her a small smile, which she returned, although a little half-heartedly. Angrenost noticed it, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I just never thought I'd be talking to the Prince of the kingdom like this . . . like a friend . . . me, an orphan girl, being a Prince's friend? It would have seemed impossible then." Leliana said, and laughed. Angrenost gave a small laugh as well, but he failed once again to stifle his yawn.

"Looks like you do need to sleep . . . come, I will accompany you to your room, then go to . . . my new room." Leliana said happily, and Angrenost eyes narrowed.

"You mean Danaher's room?" Angrenost asked her, trying to keep his voice pleasant.

"Yes . . . By the heavens, I still can't believe its him, and that I have met him here, of all places . . ." Leliana told him, her voice showing her joy. "I thought we'd never meet again, ever, but here he is, fine and as good as always."

Angrenost shook his head, "When did you meet him, exactly?"

Leliana scratched her cheek thoughtfully as she spoke, "We grew up together, and . . . well, we sort of got together then, he started courting me, and we used to spend all our mornings and evenings together . . ." She was grinning as she spoke. "I remember, I didn't want the others to find out, so I would usually get up before the others, very early, even before dawn, and go downstairs, and he would be waiting for me there. At evenings, I would hurry back home as quickly as I could, and usually I was the first one back."

She was almost laughing now. "He used to throw pebbles at my window and tell me to come downstairs . . . he even surprised me once by climbing up to the window and coming into the room . . . I was so frightened."

"Looks like you had a happy time together . . ." Angrenost said as they climbed the last of the stairs, and walked down the corridor.

"What about you? Have you had any . . . you know, relationships?" Leliana asked him, and he shook his head.

"Nope, I have always been single . . . I don't know, but I never exactly got close to anyone, because I always had something or the other to do, and I was constantly busy, training or studying, or even inspecting the cities at my father's orders . . ." Angrenost told her.

"And here I used to think that life as a royalty would be good." Leliana told him, and he chuckled.

"For a princess it is . . . all they have to do is keep the line running." Angrenost told her, and she looked at him with her eyebrows raised, confused.

"Line running?" She asked him, and Angrenost almost let out groan of frustration.

"You didn't get it?" Angrenost asked her. "Keeping the line going . . ." They had reached his quarters, and he pulled out the key from his pocket and hurriedly unlocked it.

"Line running . . . you mean . .. oh!" Leliana said as she understood what he had said, and a flash of mirth passed her face, before she reached forward and slapped his back hard.

"Ouch!" Angrenost said, laughing and hurrying inside.

"You mean, having children, huh? . . . Growing those children up probably isn't a small job. Especially if they are like you!" She told him, and he shook his head.

"Yes, probably not . . ." He said, untying his cloak and pulling it off, then placing onto a hanger. The room was lavish, and huge. This was just the sitting room, but it had beautiful couches, red and gold in colour, and small tables between them. The walls had cupboards full of plates, swords, bows and other things. A door to the far left led to the bedroom, and another one right in front of them led to the balcony. Sunlight streamed into the room from the open door of the balcony.

"Well, Leliana, I guess I will see you later . . ." Angrenost said, and she nodded at him and walked off hurriedly. Angrenost closed the door after she left, and sighed, his shoulders drooping.

The first thing he did was takes off his boots and socks, and his shirt, then hurried to the bedroom, preparing for a nice rest. Indeed, it was the first one he was going to get after a long time.


	77. Chapter 76

_Chapter 76: Aid from the cities_

Angrenost bent down, panting; sweat flowing down from his forehead and brow, then falling to the ground. He stayed so for a long time, gasping for breath, after which he sniffed and stood straight, looking around.

 _Darn it!_ Angrenost thought. The man before him got to his feet, rubbing his palms.

"You are improving, Angrenost . . . but you aren't quite there yet." The man said. Angrenost turned away, wiping his brow.

The men were training with their arms, practicing swordsmanship or their skills with the bow and arrow, or some similar activities. Several women were also present among them, practicing, which had hardly surprised Angrenost, but he had been a little taken aback when Leliana had also joined.

They were on the other side of the Spine, four days after leaving Tierm with all the forces present in the city. Indeed, almost all the men of the city had followed, except the ones injured in the battle for Tierm, and most of the younger or older members of the family had stayed behind.

Angrenost himself was sparring, with three men. One of them was the very man who had trained him when he had been young. It had been another surprise for him. The man was named Yurdain, in his late forties, but he was still quite fit and strong.

"Come on, Angrenost, you can do much better." Yurdain said. He was wearing a thick, green shirt, with the sleeves cut off, revealing his muscular arms. There was a strap over his shoulder, and back, which was where he placed his claymore, one of the largest swords that Angrenost had ever seen. The man had had it even when he had begun training Angrenost almost ten years ago.

"Right, Yurdain, lets see if you still have it in you." Angrenost replied, pulling off his shirt and picking up his sword from the ground.

They had camped just out of the Spine, and were waiting for forces from Belatona, Dras'leona and Kuasta. Then, they would head for the north, joined by the forces from Gil'ead, Daret and all the other northern cities.

Yurdain got to his feet, then drew his claymore, making Angrenost wince. His own longsword, which didn't seem very long now, would easily be broken into two if he tried blocking a blow from that huge thing.

"No, Angrenost . . . I don't want to injure you, so I think I'll use a longsword as well." Yurdain said, placing his own sword on the ground, and taking up another from one of the men, smiling. He checked whether the sword was dulled, hitting his palm with it, lightly. When it didn't give him a cut, he held it ready and took his position, exhaling loudly.

"Ready?" Angrenost asked him, and he nodded.

They stood in their positions, staring into each other's eyes. Angrenost stood straight, with his sword held tightly by his side, while Yurdain kept his knees bent and his free hand outstretched ahead of him, and the sword hand behind, as if to cleave the attacker the instant he was close enough.

"Come on, Yurdain, you really think I will charge first?" Angrenost asked him, making him laugh.

"You always were a coward." Yurdain said, brandishing his sword.

"Well, if you think I will charge, then you are right!" Angrenost replied, and ran forwards, swinging his sword as hard as he could.

Yurdain parried the blow easily, sidestepping the Prince, "Good, good . . . but not good enough, I am afraid." He said and lunged at him, jabbing with his sword.

Angrenost caught the blow on the edge of his sword, then twirled it around, pushing Yurdain's sword along with his. He pushed it up a moment later, then brought it down swiftly. Yurdain raised an eyebrow, but Angrenost whirled around, pulling his sword free, but grabbing Yurdain's sword hand with his free one.

Yurdain grabbed the hand, trying to push it away, but Angrenost placed his sword on the man's neck. Yurdain stared at the blade, then back at Angrenost, and grinned, "Nice one . . . you actually made me believe I'll win, boy . . . well, its good to know you haven't forgotten everything that I taught you."

Angrenost smiled at him, letting go of his hand, "True . . . I have learnt a couple of new tricks too."

"Like attacking the tower of Tierm with a ballista?" A voice said suddenly. Angrenost turned towards the source, and saw the commander-in-chief of the forces of Kuasta standing there, in complete armor.

"Yes, that's one of those." Angrenost said, laughing.

"You'll have to teach me that one of these days, my lord." The man said.

"It's good to see you, Kolgrim." Angrenost told him, walking forward and shaking the man's hand.

* * *

Leliana shot an arrow at the makeshift man, the arrow getting stuck in its head. She smiled, then took aim again, holding the bow steady. She let loose the arrow, this time striking the neck. She sent another arrow, piercing the target straight in the heart.

"Looks like I really should be scared of you." Someone behind her said. She turned around, recognizing the voice. It was Danaher, a sword on his hip. He was wearing a brown shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and dark brown pants, and looked as if he had been practicing as well.

Leliana laughed, "You should . . . though I know you aren't."

"Right you are . . . why would I be afraid of my lily?" Danaher said, moving forward. Leliana embraced him lightly, then ruffled his hair.

"And why should the lily be afraid of you?" Leliana asked him, smiling, but he lifted her up, hand on her hips. She gave a small cry of surprise, then looked down upon his joyful face.

"She shouldn't . . ." Danaher replied, and she reached down and kissed him, her arms around his neck. Danaher pulled her head closer to him, his lips pressing hers even more. They separated after a couple of moments, both almost out of breath, then joined again, kissing each other.

* * *

Angrenost stood in front of a mirror, which showed the commanders of the forces of Belatona and Dras'leona. They had both joined forces and were going to arrive at Angrenost's location in some hours.

"That's good news, very good news . . . I am glad that you have managed to heed my call so quickly." Angrenost said.

"My Prince, Carvahall is our capital, and the king is our leader, we are not going to stop until we reach him now." The man said, while the other nodded.

"I take my leave of you now . . . may haste favor your steeds." Angrenost said, nodding.

The men bowed, and the mirror went black for a moment, after which it now showed Angrenost standing with the commanders of Tierm and Kuasta. The forces from Kuasta arrived just an hour before Angrenost had ordered a magician to contact the others.

"My lord, I do not understand one thing though." The Commander-in-chief of Tierm said.

"What is that?" Angrenost asked, turning around.

"Who are these people? And why are they attacking us?" The Commander asked.

"I don't know much about them . . . I have only gathered this much, that they are from Alalea, wherever that is . . . and as for why they are attacking us, well, they might just want to take over and set their own rule on the place." Angrenost replied, walking towards the table.

"Alalea . . . my lord, I know of this place." The Commander of Kuasta said suddenly. Angrenost turned to him, surprised. "There is an order of monks, called the Arcaena order. I used their library once, at the Governor's request . . . and I saw an entire book written about this very place."

"What did it say?" Angrenost asked eagerly.

"My lord, I couldn't read all of it . . . but I do remember that Alalea is the place of origin of the elves . . . and that it is extremely huge." The Commander said.

"No idea about where it is or in which direction we need to go if we want to find it?" Angrenost asked him.

"No . . ." The man said.

Angrenost shook his head then, "I guess we will have to chase them to find out, then." Then gestured at the entrance to the tent, allowing the commanders to leave.

 _I think that's exactly what I am going to do._ Angrenost thought.

* * *

Leliana laughed as she walked alongside Danaher, arm-in-arm. They had been just sitting and talking together, about all the time they had spent together, and how they had met when they had been younger for an hour after Danaher had met her at the practice grounds. Now, they were heading for their tent, still talking.

"You remember when I nearly fell off the window?" Danaher asked her as they walked past people, mostly men carrying weapons and parts of armor to the armory. A couple of women looked at Leliana and Danaher, smiling at the happy couple.

"That was downright reckless of you, you could have broken a leg or worse." Leliana told him.

"But I didn't . . ." Danaher replied, then chuckled. "There was this another time, when Jhonas found out about us . . . I still can't forget that grin he had on his face when he had spotted us kissing . . ."

"He saw us kissing?!" Leliana exclaimed, surprised.

"Yes, when I was kissing you goodnight, and then I turned and saw him, while you were going home . . . That fool, he nearly ruined my life with all the teasing." Danaher told her.

They had reached their own tent, and they stopped, still arm in arm, and talking, "I really was glad that none of the other girls found out about us at that time . . . they could have separated us for good. Aunt Elnoare was extremely strict when it came to boys." Leliana said.

"That wheezing old woman?" Danaher asked, surprised.

"Danaher!" Leliana said, but laughed. She couldn't help it, Danaher was right about her in any case. That was the best part about the man she loved, he could make her happy anywhere and at anytime. Now, she was almost out of her grief regarding Heslant and his sacrifice for her.

"What? She was a pain, she never even let me runaway with you." Danaher told her. "We could have been together all this time then, if that wouldn't have happened."

Leliana sighed, "True . . . but then, would you have been able to look after me?"

"Of course I would! No doubt about it . . . I would never let anything harm you." Danaher told her, turning to her. "And I still won't . . . Trust me."

Leliana smiled slightly, then turned away, "I do trust you but-"

Danaher suddenly pulled her face towards him gently, so that he could look into her eyes, "No 'buts'."

Leliana stared into his eyes for a moment, then reached forward and kissed him, unable to resist. He pulled her close to him as well, hugging her and lifting her off her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with even more joy.

"Err . . . Sorry to interrupt, but I . . ." A voice said suddenly, making Danaher and Leliana jump, their lips separating. Leliana looked up, still being held up by Danaher, to see Angrenost standing a little ahead, looking at them with a quizzical expression. "Good to see you two . . . enjoying yourselves."

"My lord!" Danaher said, placing Leliana down.

"Call me Angrenost, there is no need for that title between us . . ." Angrenost said, walking forward. He smiled at them in a friendly way, but Leliana stared at his eyes, which had dark linings below them. Clearly, he was tired.

"Right . . . well, where have you been these past few days?" Leliana asked him, curious.

"I have been assembling forces . . . we need more men if we want to fight Freohr's army." Angrenost said, then reached up with his hand and rubbed his eye for a moment. It was red when he stopped, and he blinked a couple of times.

"You look like you haven't slept in a long time, again . . . assembling an army must be hectic." Danaher said, and Angrenost shrugged, standing straight again.

"You really do look tired, Angrenost, you should rest . . . we can't have a sleepy prince leading us when we save our capital." Leliana told him, letting go of Danaher to go forward to take a closer look at him.

Angrenost laughed slightly, but shook his head, "I think I owe you an explanation, Leliana, about how I ended up in Tierm . . . I mean, you know why . . ."

Leliana stared at him at first, unable to understand, then it struck her, with growing dread, "Is this about Heslant?"

Angrenost stared at her, "Not exactly . . . but you need to know what all happened-"

"Can you tell us how you know that Carvahall is going to be attacked?" Danaher asked him suddenly.

"Well, it's a long story . . . we might need to sit down for a bit." Angrenost said.

Danaher stared at him, then nodded at the tent. The three of them walked in, Angrenost smiling at Leliana as he passed her. But unbeknownst to them, far away, swords were being sharpened, armors were being polished and men were being given orders.

Narda had been defeated, its inhabitants either dead or lost in the fringes of the Spine. Freohr had made his way through the mountains, and now stood in front of his army, telling them to get prepared.

At the same time, King Orothrim got the reports that the defenses of the city were in place. Thus, both sides were ready for the battle. But would Orothrim be able to hold off the full scale attack on his city from an army that was many folds larger than his own men?

Angrenost hoped against hope that they would reach in time, but unfortunately for the young Prince, it already was too late.


	78. Chapter 77

**Chapter 77: Forces Gather**

It had been hours since the sun had set past the peaks of the Spine overlooking the white city of Carvahall. It was dark, there was no moon, but the stars were ever twinkling. The lights in almost all the homes of the city had been put out, many people were asleep in their homes, but most of the men in the city were wide awake and had their weapons handy.

King Orothrim stood on the balcony of his castle, watching the outer fringes of the city, his graying beard swaying in the wind. The balcony was wide and had a railing higher than the waist.

A couple of days ago, there had been a slight problem with Nolfavrell's dragon, Ohen, as he had tried to land in the dragon hold. His tail had accidentally hit the wall of the castle, breaking away a considerable portion if it, along with the window of the Throne room, which was at one of the highest levels of the castle. It had been a surprising incident, but Orothrim had just laughed over it and had ordered ramparts to be made so the damage could be fixed.

The ramparts had been erected along the walls of the castle, slowly rising from the very same balcony where he stood, which was the balcony of the conference hall, just a couple of levels above the ground.

Behind him stood the Rider of the city, Nolfavrell, in the meantime his dragon flew around above the castle, looking about the city.

"Sire, you summoned me?" Nolfavrell asked.

"Ah yes, I did . . ." Orothrim said, turning around. "We have a problem, Nolfavrell. The scouts reported earlier today that that there have been sightings of several unknown men towards the north of the city."

"You mean, towards the direction of Narda?'' Nolfavrell asked, turning to the general direction of the city. The mountains there were dark, although topped with white. There was no way to make anything out from that balcony.

"Yes, but thats not it . . . There have been sightings of these unknown people towards the south as well, and the most disturbing fact is that no one. knows who they are. Our magicians are unable to contact Narda, and the scouts aren't reporting either." The king told him, while the Rider listened intently.

"I and Ohen will go ahead and check those regions right away, sire." Nolfavrell said, to which the king replied with a nod, not looking at him, but staring outside from where he stood in the wide balcony.

"Sire?" Nolfavrell asked, a little concerned.

"Nolfavrell, you have been with us in Carvahall for a very long time, longer than me . . . What do you think our chances are of surviving if the city was attacked?" The king asked him back, his voice low and in deep thought. Nolfavrell just stood there and watched the king, wondering how he could reply.

"As I understand it, it would depend on the circumstances in which the attack took place." Nokfavrell said simply, "If the attack took place in the morning, we would have a much better chance, as we would know what their plan would be and how to defend ourselves from it . . . If it took place at night, then . . . All we can hope is that the guards in the outerwalls will realise what's going on in time."

Orothrim just nodded and turned away, sighing, "There is something that you should know before you go ahead on this . . . Its regarding my son Angrenost . . ."

Nolfavrell stared at him, and instantly knew that he was going to hear the Prince's adventures in person from the King himself.

Freohr smirked, as he stood in front if his large army. They were all gathered together there, except the two units, whom he had kept at Narda. Laughter echoed behind as many of his men bragged on about the easy victory that they had won in Narda.

The city had been caught completely off-guard, most of the soldiers were not even geared properly. A few hours and the city had been taken, its governor captured and its citizens subdued. But Freohr 's pleasure had been beheading the dragon, and watching its Rider squeal and scream.

But they had stopped at that, and had left for the mountains without harming any of the citizens. That pleasure had been saved for othe time when the king had been killed and the people running amock in terror and panic.

That will be a pleasure indeed . . . Wherever and whenever I swing a sword, an Algaesian will be killed. Thought Freohr, picturing when he would finally inform Crugan about it.

Father, I will make you proud . . . I will accomplish my task, and let you sit on the throne in this land as well as Alalea. Freohr thought. He savored the moment, letting it become one with the thoughts of his mind, elating him. He knew that he was going to finish what he had been told to finish, he was going to end King Orothrim's life.

"Captains, stop the march . . . We make camp here tonight, and tomorrow, the greatest of your and your men's lives will begin." Freohr told them.

"So . . . Tierm was attacked by these people . . . But Angrenost managed to save the city, so now these foriegners are coming for Carvahall? . . . That is surprising, if they couldn't take Tierm, what make's them think they can take Carvahall?" Nolfavell asked, confused.

"Apparently, the army that attacked Tierm was just a distraction, and the actual army that they brought from Alalea is on its way here with the real leader . . . I have a feeling that there might be more to this than what we know and they might already have taken Narda." King Orothrim answered.

"If that's the case, then I think that it will be better for me and Ohen to stay here, and at the same time, call for reinforcements from Vroengard . . ." Nolfavrell replied, then took walked forward, towards handholds on the balcony, "I shall take my leave now, sire . . . But there is one thing that you can do."

"And what might that be?" The king asked.

"We should let the people of Carvahall know about this threat . . . As soon as possible." Nolfavrell replied.

"True, I shall tell them all this tomorrow morning." Orothrim said, smiling.

Angrenost pulled on the reins of his horse, looking at his army which followed him. He sighed as he saw the forces from Tierm, Dras'leona and many other cities who had answered his call and come to save the capital of the Broddring kingdom.

Men and women stood alike in the long ranks, walking straight, following his lead. They were the people of his kingdom, and all of them were ready to fight and die for the kingdom. But Angrenost still had doubts and second thoughts about what he was doing.

He now knew what it meant to be a leader, what it felt like to be a person whom people looked up to with respect and expectations. Although, he was a little unsure as to whether he was ready for it. But there was no turning back now. He had to save his father.

They had passed Yazuac, from where many men had joined the army as well. Carvahall was just another day's march ahead. Angrenost just hoped that they would reach the city in time to stop Freohr's forces.

The General of the forces of Tierm was next to him, and he smiled at Angrenost as he turned around to take a look at the army. Angrenost nodded back, but the General seemed to want convey something afterall. He leaned towards Angrenost and muttered, "My lord, I have a little suggestion for you . . . You haven't spoken to the army yet, have you?" When Angrenost shook his head, the man continued. "Well, you should . . . These people are putting their life at stake to help you . . . They deserve a response . . . Remember, there is no leader without the followers, just as there is no king without his subjects."

"True, I haven't spoken to them as of now . . . I guess I should at least let them know why we are going towards Carvahall, instead of letting them follow me on the basis of some rumours that are obviously circling around." Angrenost replied.

"Well said, Prince . . . But its getting dark now . . . I suggest that you halt the march for the night. At this rate we'll surely reach Carvahall by tomorrow. You can talk to them tomorrow morning." The governor said.

Angrenost nodded and turned away, continuing ahead. He is right, I should stand up in front of them and speak, I am the one who has called them here afterall . . . If I don't explain, then no one else will . . . But that can wait for tomorrow, right now everyone deserves a break.

"Halt the march for now, and lets set up camp. We can move ahead tomorrow, the men should be ready for the battles that are coming." Angrenost told the generals who were riding alongside him. They all agreed and turned their horses, riding towards their respective forces.

Leliana passed Danaher the hammer and watched as he smashed it on a nail, making it sink into the ground. They were setting up a tent for the night. The next day was the day when the battle was going to, most possibly, start provided that they reached Carvahall in time.

Danaher smiled at her, and went about pulling the tent up. It took a while, but soon they were both sitting just outside the flaps of the tent. Danaher had his arm around Leliana's shoulders, and they were both just staring up at the stars, looking at unceasing little specks which never stopped twinkling.

For some reason, Leliana found the moment they were together a little awkward. Danaher was never this quiet. What has happened to him? This is the first time that I am seeing him in such deep thought.

"Danaher, is something wrong? Why aren't you talking?" Leliana asked him. "Are you worried about tomorrow?"

"Oh, what? . . . Right, yes, I am a bit worried about tomorrow, but also about something else . . . You are not going to fight, are you?" Danaher asked her back.

Leliana raised her eyebrows at him, "What?"

"The battle . . . You will be at the camp, won't you?" Danaher asked her.

"No, I am joining the battle, why did you even ask?" Leliana said, a frown on her face.

"Because I was hoping that you wouldn't, you know, be fighting and that you would stay here and tend to the wounded." Danaher said.

"Did you really? But I pretty much am going to empty my quiver a fair few times." Leliana replied, getting up and walking into the tent.

"Leliana," Danaher said as he followed her. "This is too dangerous, come on . . . I can't let you fight in this battle." Danaher told her, his voice firm.

"Danaher, don't tell me this is dangerous, not after what I and Angrenost have been through at Tierm. I think I can handle something like this with ease." Leliana replied.

"You don't know what this is like!" Danaher said immediately, his eyes wide.

Leliana stared at him in surprise, he usually wasn't like this. This was just annoying, he was treating her like a weak woman who would be better of hiding when she was needed at the battle. She wasn't that type of a person, she had been trained, she had the skills, then why shouldn't she use them?

"I am sorry but I am going to join the battle, and you are not going to stop me." Leliana said in a stern voice, a note of finality to her tone.

"No, you are not joining, you hear? Its too dangerous, you can get killed, or captured . . . I-"

"I am not some helpless little girl, Danaher, I have been trained to fight, and that's what I am going to do . . . Now let me get some rest, I have a battle to look forward to tomorrow." Leliana finished, then turned away and began walking towards the bed, intending to sleep.

But Danaher grabbed her arm tightly, and pulled her around, making her face him, "Don't you understand, I don't want you to get hurt or get killed, I want to fight tomorrow and lead my men without any worry about you because I'll know that you will be safe."

Leliana shook her head, her voice annoyed and irritated as she tried to pull her hand free, "Danaher, leave me. . . You are hurting me!"

"Promise me you won't fight, that you will stay in the camp." Danaher said angrily, grabbing her other arm as well and holding her in front of him with an iron grip, from which Leliana was unable to break free.

"No, and if you don't leave me right now, I am going to leave you for good!" Leliana said, trying to break free. "Who are you to tell me what to do and what not to do?"

"Leliana!" Danaher shouted but she suddenly heaved, pushing him against the corner of a table, the edge hitting him hard, in the back. Danaher yelled in pain, and Leliana hurriedly shrugged his hands off hers and backed away from him.

"You disappear without a word, for four years, and now you suddenly reappear and start telling me how to live my life!" Leliana screamed at him.

Danaher looked at her in surprise, his eyes still strained from pain where the table had hit him.

"Look Leliana-" Danaher began, but Leliana cut him off.

"No, I don't want to hear a thing from you, Danaher." Leliana raised a threatening finger at him. "You weren't there to protect me from those muggers who tried to rob my money and my pride. It was then that my training had come in useful, not your promise of always being there for me and always protecting me."

"Things were different then, I was broke, I thought that if I signed up for a job then you could start living with me, not away from me." Danaher told her. "I didn't know that I would be sent away from Tierm."

"And who's to blame for that Danaher? You didn't tell me where you were going, let alone all this." Leliana told him.

"I wanted to tell you! But apparently you were angry that I hadn't met you in a week." Danaher said in an exasperated tone.

"So, that was my fault, was it?" Leliana shouted at him, her temper flaring. She couldn't stand it anymore.

"I didn't say that, what I meant was that I tried, but you had turned a deaf ear to me." Danaher told her, his voice extremely annoying.

"I had done no such thing, you didn't bother to-" Leliana began, but Danaher cut her off.

"Don't you understand? I did this-" Danaher was yelling, but Leliana shouted even louder than him.

"No, I don't! I don't! And I never will!" Leliana shrieked, grabbed her dagger and stormed out of the tent, her dress billowing behind her.

Danaher just stood there and watched her go, furious himself. He didn't care at the moment that she was angry and had probably left him for good. Instead, he just wanted to grab his flask and drink something strong, because Leliana's words had stabbed his heart like knives. They rang in his ears even as he turned around and walked towards the trunk where he kept all his belongings, intending to drink off his thoughts.

In the meantime Leliana walked briskly across the camp, heading nowhere in particular. Tears were filling her eyes, and she was still fuming from the fight. She didn't realize then but there was actually nowhere else for her to go. It was too late for her to go and get a tent for herself. Her bow, armor and clothes were still at Danaher's tent.

But she didn't care at that moment all she wanted to do was to get away from Danaher, and cry all her anger out somewhere, and then she would worry about the other things. She walked past tents, many of which still had lights on inside them, the people inside discussing about the coming battle, or just talking to each other. Leliana kept walking until her bare feet began to burn, slowing down her pace. She finally came to a halt, looking around. Her legs felt like they were made of bread, soft bread that she used to make.

Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her, and she turned around to see a shadowy figure of a man walking towards her, his face hidden in the darkness. She wiped her eyes again, which were starting to water, then hurriedly turned away and began walking briskly as before. As she passed a tent, she turned and jogged in a different direction, hoping to shake the person who seemed to be chasing her. She looked back, and saw him take the turn as well, and stop as he watched her go.

She stopped as well, because the man's face was now visible. She turned around and slowly retraced her steps back, her eyes filling up again. The man had a confused look on his face and he watched her as she walked to him, and stared at her face which was wet, and eyes were red.

"What's wrong?" He asked her simply, but she just lunged forward and embraced him tightly, trying her best not to break down and cry.

"A-Angrenost . . ." She muttered, while he slowly and gently pulled her away from him and took a look at her. "He . . . D-Danaher, w-we had a f-fight . . . I j-just don't w-want t-t-to go back . . . he was s-s-so furious . . ."

Angrenost staggered back in surprise, he hadn't expected that in the least. But he hurriedly regained his composure. But instead of speaking, he just placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her close to him again, lending her his support. She cried again for a few minutes, her sobs the only sound that disturbed the silence of the night, after which she pulled away, wiping her eyes.

"T-Thank you, Angrenost." Leliana said, but Angrenost pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her, a small smile on his face.

"I can see that you had a pretty rough night . . . come, I'll drop you off to your tent." Angrenost said, but Leliana shook her head.

"No, I can't go back there . . . I don't want to go back there, not after what happened . . . Danaher probably hates me now, after . . . after all that." Leliana replied shakily, dabbing her eyes, but Angrenost just shook his head.

"Come on, one fight doesn't ruin a relationship, it strengthens it. Now, are you going to go back to him?" Angrenost asked her with an amused look.

"Why are you smiling?" Leliana asked him, suddenly irritated.

"Your face . . . even an Urgal would find it difficult not to burst out laughing at the sight of it . . ." Angrenost said, then laughed slightly.

"Angrenost!" Leliana said in an annoyed tone.

"I am serious!" Angrenost said, but Leliana just shook her head.

"All men are same, when its time to be serious, you remember jokes." Leliana said, turning around and walking away.

"Hey, that's not true . . . and you can't blame me, you are the one with the ridiculous face." Angrenost told her, and she turned around and looked him straight in the eye.

"Ridiculous?" She asked him, taking a step forward, her expression rather frightening.

Angrenost shook his head, backing away from her hurriedly, but she advanced on him, "No, not ridiculous . . . its just so red, and fluffed up, and . . . it reminds me of tomatoes."

"That's it!" Leliana said, hitting him hard on his back.

"Really? You thought that would hurt me?" Angrenost asked her. "Looks like the tomato is losing its-"

"Will you stop it?" Leliana asked him angrily, then elbowed him right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Angrenost coughed slightly, then raised his hands, "I yield!"

Leliana got a small smile on her face as she saw him. The Prince was stooping before her with his hands raised in surrender.

"I didn't know it was so easy to defeat a Prince." Leliana said, but Angrenost just smiled as he stood straight.

"Alright, Leliana, you don't want to go back to your tent . . . so, why don't you go to the command pavilion? There is already one family there, because they don't have a tent of their own. You might like to sleep there." Angrenost told her.

She nodded.

"Let's go, I'll accompany you." Angrenost said, leading her ahead. They walked for a few minutes in silence, but Leliana watched Angrenost, who was smiling and looking at the sky.

"Angrenost . . . Thank you again, for lightening my mood . . . I really needed it." Leliana said after a while, and smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it . . . Ah, there it is!" Angrenost pointed at the tent.

But even as the Prince and his army prepared for their last night before the battle, the invaders themselves inched closer to the city, they weapons ready, their arms eager and their faces bloodthirsty.


	79. Chapter 78

_Chapter 78: Battle ahead_

"People of the Broddring Kingdom!" Angrenost yelled, standing in front of his army. "Men and Women alike, today we stand here, in the Palancar Valley, to respond to a call for aid . . . a call for help from the capital."

A rustle of murmuring went around as people suddenly began whispering, but their captains called at them to pay attention, "Yes, I know many of you might have heard different things, but the capital has a threat from foreign forces, the very same which attacked Tierm, and they are getting closer and closer as we speak."

The murmuring and muttering started again. "We haven't had a war in Alagaesia in nearly a hundred years, the golden age of Peace . . . and I believe that we are not going to let that age of Peace die away . . . we are going to fight, and we are going to defend this beautiful land of ours . . . Are we not?"

"YES WE ARE!" the army replied in unison, drawing swords, spears bashing against shields.

"Then let us save the capital!" Angrenost yelled, and led his army ahead, just a few hours from the city of Carvahall.

Freohr smirked up at the castle of Carvahall, which stood in front of him. The archers on the top of the walls and on the cities all stared at him and the great force that stood behind him.

They know that they don't stand a chance against me . . . they are afraid . . . what a pity. Freohr thought to himself, and his smirk widened into a sneer. He could almost feel the triumph in the air and among his soldiers. They were going to win this with great ease.

"March with me to the main gate, I wish to meet their king before we attack the city." Freohr spoke to the captains and walked ahead, the army following him. They crossed the perimeter of the wall that surrounded the city, which was quite high, and strong. The guards eyed the army nervously, wondering what was going on, then suddenly disappeared.

Freohr reached the front of the gate and stood there, his face smug. He walked forward and kicked the gate of the city. The sound rang in the silent city, where all the activities had ceased. People were sitting in their homes, men and women holding their children close, lovers comforting each other. This attack had been foreseen, and the guards had come around earlier that day, telling everyone to remain indoors, and to seal the entrances and exits to their homes.

King Orothrim stood at base of his castle, while the dragon Ohen and his Rider were perched on the balcony of the Royal Palace. The king had finished addressing the army of guards and soldiers who were ready and willing to defend Carvahall, while the Rider watched the enemy outside. The defenders hurried to their positions, while the king watched, his eyes confident and his stance firm.

Freohr kicked the gate hard once more, then turned around and stared at his own forces. There were thousands of them, and they all were willing to do his bidding. He knew that he was going to win, Carvahall was going to crumple to the ground.

 _Today, father, I shall make you proud._ Freohr thought to himself, his sneer intensifying.

"Open this gate! And call your king, I wish to speak with that filthy leader . . ." Freohr shouted, but there was no reply. Freohr waited, but there was almost complete silence, but then suddenly, Freohr heard something. It was as if the strings were being pulled down on a harp, but not just one, hundreds of them. He shook his head, but a split second later he understood what was happening but he was too late.

"Take cover! Take cover!" he shouted, but . . .

 _Twang!_ Hundreds of bows rang in unison, their arrows soaring high into the sky, then falling straight into the heart of the armies. Cries went out as men fell, taken by surprise. Most had not even bothered to wear the helms, or pull on their shields.

They regretted their carelessness. More than a hundred warriors in Freohr's army fell to the ground, killed by the arrows, while more were injured.

Freohr yelled out in rage, "Return fire! And bring that ram ahead, I need the gate down as soon as possible. Hurry up, you scumbags!"

Arrows soon soared high from both sides, inside and outside the city, marking the beginning the of the Second Battle for Carvahall, after a hundred years.

Angrenost pulled on his helm, his eyes undeterred even after the estimations he had received from his father earlier that day. Ohen had spotted the army much before it had reached the city, giving the king enough to time to assemble his soldiers, and to contact Angrenost with the details.

Angrenost was confident that if the city could hold until he and his joint forces reached Carvahall, then together they could defeat the invading army. At least that was what he had planned, but then again, he wasn't sure how long Carvahall would be able to hold its own against an army so large.

"My lord, do not worry about Carvahall." A familiar voice said, and Angrenost looked around to see Leliana next to him. He gaped at her.

"What're you . . .?" Angrenost trailed off as he remembered what she had told him last night.

"Well . . . I thought that it would be better to be by your side . . . this must be a little hard for you, your home city being attacked and all." Leliana said, and Angrenost nodded.

"It is, I had never imagined something like this could happen . . . and don't call me with titles, I don't like it when you do that." Angrenost muttered in a low voice.

"I just said that to distract you . . . stop being so gloomy, its not so bad . . ." Leliana said, and Angrenost stared at her with an expression that clearly proved her wrong. "Is it really that bad?" She asked, suddenly her voice a little less enthusiastic.

"It's a nightmare that we are marching into, Leliana, I am not surprised Danaher wanted to keep you away . . . the forces attacking the city are much more in number than our present army . . . I don't think charging in is the greatest idea . . ." Angrenost said, his voice didn't have the usual strength and gentleness that it did. It sounded like the voice of a person who had been forced to make the worst decision of his life. "But there is no other way, we will lose lots of people inside the city if we don't do this now . . . I am completely out of options, Leliana . . ."

"Angrenost?" Leliana asked, suddenly concerned at what he was saying. "What's wrong? Tell me."

"We are going to lose people . . . we are going to lose many people . . . and that's just because we don't have time to make a plan . . . we have to stop Freohr before he kills my father and takes the crown for himself . . . but I don't want so many to die . . ." Angrenost told her, his voice extremely sad and disappointed. "Children are going to lose parents, and siblings . . . Mothers are going to lose their children whom they raised for years . . . families are going to be ripped apart and there is no way of preventing this . . . it is just my ill fate that I had to lead this frontal massacre . . . it's just so pathetic!" Angrenost's voice was quivering, but he stood straight on his horse, staring at the woman next to him. His eyes gave away his regret.

"Look . . . you are not pathetic, and neither is your fate ill. You saved Tierm, you are the Prince of this land . . . you are our leader Angrenost, and I am pretty sure all of us are ready to follow you wherever you lead us, even to the bitter end." Leliana told him, then hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulders, which were protected by squalders. "A bitter end that might give rise to sweet new beginnings is always worth the sacrifice."

Angrenost stared at her, and gave her a small smile, "Thank you . . . I needed that. And you need to talk to Danaher, I am sure he is sorry about what happened earlier . . ."

"No, I-"

"Talk to him, you might regret it later if you don't." Angrenost cut in, and Leliana's eyes bored into his, making butterflies take flight in his insides.

"I think I will." Leliana said, nodding, then veered her horse around and galloped past the different units, looking for Danaher.

Angrenost sighed, then looked forward as they moved ahead along the rocky path. They still had to cross another hill before they could get a proper view of the city. He almost dreaded the sight.

Leliana found Danaher somewhere in the middle of the army, after finally being able to make her way to him against the direction in which everyone else was marching. Danaher looked extremely relieved when he saw her, and she smiled slightly.

"Where were you?" Danaher asked her, his voice worried. "You didn't come back last night . . . where were you?"

Leliana stared at him, he looked like a mess. He wasn't wearing a helm, and his hair was completely messed up. And he smelled even worse, "You have been drinking!" she said accusingly.

"Just a mug of ale . . . what?" Danaher asked her as she shook her head.

"You know I don't like it when you drink all that, it messes with your head." Leliana replied in a slightly crossed tone.

"Alright . . . but don't tell me you spent the night outside on the ground." Danaher told her, and she shook her head.

"No, I didn't, I joined the other people at the command pavilion, who didn't have a tent for themselves. It was quite good, we spend some time discussing the battle and all, really improved my mood after . . . well, you know." Leliana said, trying to avoid the topic.

Danaher's ears went red, and she knew that he was ashamed of himself. "Lily . . . I am sorry about last night, but I am worried about you . . . I know you won't let a simple apology make up for what all I said-"

"You bet I won't!" Leliana interrupted.

"So . . . what can I do to make up for this?" Danaher almost sounded desperate, and Leliana stared at him with a little surprise, then shook her head. "Please, I'll do anything you say, I promise."

"We'll see about that after we are done with this battle . . ." Leliana told him, and he nodded. "Just stay alive."

"You too, sweetheart . . . I love you." Danaher told her, holding her arm, their fingers intertwining.

"I love you too." Leliana replied, smiling at him.

Someone whistled from behind them, making them both jump. This was followed by a chorus of, "Aww!" Making both their faces go bright red.

Angrenost trudged on higher and higher up the slope of the hill, followed by his army, and soon reached the top, the city completely visible then. The Royal Palace, then the different levels of the houses, and finally, the outer walls could be seen gradually as Angrenost looked. His mouth fell open and he pulled his horse's reins, shocked by what he saw.

The region outside the city, in front of the main gate, was completely covered with enemy soldiers. He could hear the faint sounds of the ram bashing against the gates of the city, and the cries of men as they were impaled by arrows. Freohr's army was huge, extremely huge, larger than Angrenost's.

The rest of Angrenost's forces stopped there, they were within attacking range, the enemy would see them coming anyway, so it would be better if they hurried. Angrenost held up his hand to them, halting their march, then sat straight, his back to the city. He faced his soldiers, and gave them all a small smile.

"It is now, or never . . ." Angrenost with a note of finality. He wanted to say more to them, because he knew that he wouldn't be seeing many of them again. But then, there was an extremely loud bang and another slam. The gate of the city had fallen, and the invaders had charged in.

Angrenost turned around, and saw the army pouring into his city, and rage began to boil within him. He turned around, and saw his forces again, but this time, they all looked a little frightened but still determined. They were his people, and they were following him to battle.  
To the bitter end . . . Angrenost thought.

"FOR CARVAHALL!" Angrenost yelled, drawing his sword. His army yelled as one, then followed him at full speed as he galloped down the slope of the hill and headed straight for the back of the army.

* * *

"Sire, the gate has fallen. You better enter the castle . . . go to the Throne room and lock the door." Nolfavrell said, pulling down the visor of his helm. He was wearing a complete set of silver armor, like a knight.

King Orothrim, in glinting armor himself, "I suppose that's the best an old man like me can do, eh?"

 _You have done a lot more than any old man could ever have done, sire, if I may say so._ Ohen said, and Orothrim smiled at the dragon. Ohen was always rather witty.

"Why thank you, Ohen . . ." Orothrim said, but then cries of men echoed to them, and Ohen tensed, preparing to take flight.

"Sire, we'll take care of things here . . . if Angrenost is on his way then we just need to hold them for some time more . . . We can do that." Nolfavrell told the king. "Please, go inside and keep a dozen men with you just in case we . . ."

Orothrim looked around at his men, who seemed to be agreeing with Nolfavrell, so he finally gave in. He knew that he wasn't young and powerful anymore, and not helping was the biggest help he was doing.

"Fine then, to the Throne room." Orothrim said, and walked off into the castle, a couple of men hurriedly following him. Nolfavrell turned to the other men by his side.

"Guard the castle, in case they enter the keep. We'll do our best to keep them away from here, but in case things get . . ." Nolfavrell lost trail of his speech, and looked up as he heard a screech that had haunted his nightmares as a child. There were three Lethrblaka up in the sky.

The men were dazed in horror at the sound, and Nolfavrell grit his teeth in frustration.

 _You better hurry Angrenost!_ He thought.

 _Exactly!_ Ohen replied.

 _I can't leave that army like this . . . drop me there, I'll lead the frontal assault . . . can you handle the Lethrblaka?_ Nolfavrell asked his dragon as they took to the air, flying low of the buildings.

 _No problem . . . but be careful, don't get hit in the head, wise guy._ Ohen told him.

 _Enough with the visor jokes! . . . and you be careful too, watch your tail._ Nolfavrell replied.

 _Oh I will!_ Ohen replied with a grin.

"Puny ruffians, that's what you truly are!" Freohr shouted as he parried a swing from one of the soldiers of Carvahall. He kicked the man in the middle, making him fall to the ground. Freohr laughed manically and sliced apart the man's throat.

He stood inside the gate, and there were five lines of soldiers behind him, all charging towards the retreating defenders. A third of his forces charged left, and the remaining charged right, hunting soldiers. Freohr grinned, he had enough men to take down the entire city.

"Come on, head for the-" Freohr stopped as he snatched an arrow out of the air, heading for his chest, which was protected by a chest plate. He glanced up, and saw archers shooting down on his army from almost all the rooftops. His troops returned with arrows themselves, but they were at a disadvantage.

Freohr turned to three of his captains, "Take down those archers! Go!"

They nodded and hurried towards three different buildings along with their men. Freohr strode forward down the wide street, his sword held ready. His army surrounded from both sides, and soon, they were all running forward, heading towards the line of knights in golden armor.

"It didn't take more than a minute to kill the likes of you!" Freohr shouted, and jumped over the barricade, slashing at one of the guards. The sword struck him in the head and bounced off the helm, but the man stumbled back and crumpled to the ground, knocked out cold.

Freohr laughed, parrying the thrust of the spear, then ducked and swirled around, slashing apart the knight's stomach. The knight fell back, a huge gash under his armor, but attacked again. This time, Freohr grabbed the spear and yanked it out of his hand, twirling it around, he threw it at the man. The knight ducked under the throw and drew a sword, blocking a blow from Freohr.

"Just die already!" Freohr shouted, parrying a blow that came in return, then he lunged forward and grabbed the man's throat with his free hand and threw him to the ground. In return, the man kicked Freohr in the stomach. Freohr snarled, annoyed by the nuisance. He jumped kicked the man's sword away and before the man could react, he stabbed the man through the heart.

Around him, his men had already charged past him, the knights retreating hurriedly as the complete force rained down on them. Swords clanged loudly, men howled in pain as the elite guards of Carvahall were joined with reinforcements from the left and the right, soldiers in armor emerging from different roads into the street.

The defenders regrouped there and stood firmly, ready to hold the line against the incoming forces of Freohr. There were yells of pain in other parts of the city as the different units of Freohr's army sped through the city, and the defenders retreated towards the keep.

"Stay in the line! We have more men coming in from the sides! We will have to hold them here!" A man shouted among the men of Carvahall.

Freohr raised his hand, halting his army. He stared at the men in front of him, then looked up and cursed foully, "Kill that DRAGON!" This was followed by an extremely loud roar as a pure white dragon dived straight towards the army. He pulled back his head and rained fire upon the lines of soldiers, then took off again, heading towards the Lethrblaka.

Freohr looked back, and saw almost forty men killed by the dragon. He cursed again and faced the men of Carvahall. A man stood in silver armor slightly ahead of the slowly gathering army which emerged from the keep.

"Freohr, I suppose." He said coldly, a dazzling white sword in his hand, almost blinding in the sunlight.

"Aye . . . Rider." Freohr replied, staring at the man.

The Rider looked to the left and to the right, watching the forces of Carvahall retreating towards his group of soldiers. He turned back to Freohr, his eyes full of hate, "You are not going to get away with this."

"Why do you always say the same thing? . . . A nice 'I'll stick your gut!' would be better, because that's exactly what I am telling you!" Freohr said, while the Rider gave a small laugh.

"An expert tactician like yourself should know better . . ." The Rider said. Freohr raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"What?" Freohr asked him, just as the defenders joined the Rider's group, which grew quite large.

"Oh nothing . . . Retreat to the keep!" the Rider yelled and arrows whistled from the castle, killing almost all the soldiers on the front lines of the attackers. One narrowly missed Freohr's face, but that just made him furious.

"Attack!" Freohr shouted, but more arrows sprouted from the castle just as the army began to charge. The men retreated hurriedly, jumping back. Many more were killed.

The soldiers of Carvahall were all inside and the gates had almost closed with Nolfavrell standing outside, when Freohr charged forward, but the Rider dived in just as the gate closed, sealing Freohr's forces from the keep. Freohr yelled in rage again, "Bring that ram!"

Just then, there was the sound of horse charging, from behind the army, and the yell of an extremely large group of people. Freohr and his men turned around, and for a moment even the great leader was startled. A large army was charging towards them from the south, and they were closing in quickly.  
Freohr turned to the men with the ram, "Break the door down, fast! . . . Captains!" He barked at nine of them. "Take your men into position and face that force . . . I intend to kill the king with the rest of these men."

Arrows whistled from the castle again, killing some more soldiers and injuring others. Freohr just turned away, ignoring the howling of the men in his army. He couldn't stop now, he was going to destroy anything in his path.


	80. Chapter 79

**Chapter 79: Sinister Plan**

Nolfavrell rallied his troops hurriedly, pulling them back into the castle. He saluted the archers, smiling. They waved their bows at him in response. Nolfavrell nodded, then hurried into the castle.

 _Things are flying up high!_ Ohen commented. Nolfavrell could sense the dragon's wounds, which was making him wince slightly. But the dragon himself wasn't in as much a bad condition as the three Lethrblaka. All of them were scratched, with their wings torn and backs gashed. Ohen was doing a great job so far.

 _I can see that, my good dragon . . . but do take care of them fast, we need you!_ Nolfavrell told him.

 _Sure thing, partner . . . these beaked, leathery, screeching-_

 _I get it! Just kill them already!_ Nolfavrell told him, making the dragon above grin.

Nolfavrell himself jogged to the Throne Room, and was pleased to see the guards standing there, and that the door was locked. He nodded at the guards, who seemed pleased. He stared at them, then raised an eyebrow.

"There is another army coming towards the city, and they bear the flag of the Broddring Kingdom." One man said, and pointed outside the window to the right. Nolfavrell hurried to the window and glanced. Indeed, about two hundred horsemen were charging towards the city, followed by hundreds of warriors on foot.

"That's great news! Angrenost did get here in time . . ." Nolfavrell smiled, then hurried back to the courtyards. Archers were still shooting arrows outside, killing men one by one.  
White flames writhed around a Lethrblaka that was falling towards the ground, its screeching extremely unpleasant to the ears of the men. Nolfavrell watched Ohen with concern as the dragon swerved around the remaining Lethrblaka, dodging their attacks and retaliating with his own.

 _You can't best me!_ Ohen said, almost laughing.

 _Be careful, Ohen._ Nolfavrell told him.

 _Sure thing._ Ohen replied, bashing his tail against the beak of a Lethrblaka, and making it whirl around and lose control of its flight.

Nolfavrell heard the ram bash against the gate of the keep, making the gate shudder. The large hinges which bore the wooden doors slightly swayed backwards, and Nolfavrell knew that a couple more bashes from the ram would probably drop the gate.

"Once more!" Their leader shouted.

The ram smashed against the gates, the noise considerably louder now. Nolfavrell hurriedly began ordering the archers to kill the men handling the ram. Guards and soldiers gathered in front of the gates, Nolfavrell was there, his white sword ready in his hands. It was named Ramr, which was theword for 'strength' in the Ancient language.

"Harder! Its almost down!" Their leader was shouting. There was silence for a while, then there was a united yell from the invading army.

"HA!" And the ram smashed onto the gates, breaking them down. Arrows whistled towards the gates from behind Nolfavrell, who pulled out a knife from his belt, which he held in his left hand. In front of him, the leader of the invaders stood ready, his sword drawn. He grinned slyly when he saw Nolfavrell.

"Come on Rider, let's do this!" He said, and Nolfavrell smiled as well, readying himself as soldiers poured into the keep from behind Freohr.

Angrenost led his army into the city through the broken gates, and charged towards the army which stood ready to stop him. Arrows whistled towards him, but they sped past, none of them hitting the Prince.

"Come on! Carvahall beckons to us!" Angrenost yelled and rammed into the first line of the army. Two men fell back and his swung his sword around, beheading a man. The cavalry charged at the army, cleaving right through and covering Angrenost from the side. The invaders fell back as Angrenost's army pressed them forward.  
Arrows flew back and forth over Angrenost, who kept on charging his horse along with the rest of the horsemen. He hacked and slashed, stabbed and jabbed, killing anyone and everyone in his path. The men on foot were unable to hold their own against the charge from the horses. Most fell back and were trampled. The remaining were beheaded or maimed enough to drop to the ground in pain. Yells fill the entire city.

Angrenost yelled, "We are progressing! Keep up the attack!" But then, all of a sudden, a spear flew straight at Angrenost, who saw it coming. His eyes widened as the point of the bolt neared him, dead ahead, flying fast.

And right then, something miraculous and extremely shocking happened. Angrenost's steed reared on its hind-legs, neighing and coming in between Angrenost and the spear as it sped towards him. The spear pierced the horse right through its neck, stopping a half-foot away from the Prince.

Angrenost was silent for a second, then yelled as the fell to the ground. Angrenost got up hurriedly and the dead horse. He gulped, knocked out of his wits by the fact that he owed the horse his life. His cavalry hurried ahead, but he didn't have a horse for himself. He looked around, but there was no way he could get one now. He would have to proceed on foot. But then, there was a shout, "Angrenost!"

He looked around and saw Leliana riding towards him, her arm outstretched. He grabbed it and pulled himself up ahead of her.

"Thank you!" Angrenost shouted, and tugged on the reins, forcing the horse into a gallop. They sped ahead, rejoining the cavalry.

"Make way for the Prince!" The men shouted, and parted, allowing Angrenost to ride front.

"Anytime . . ." Leliana muttered, shooting an arrow right past Angrenost's ear. It struck a man's shoulder, who was standing on the roof of a house. She shot another arrow, through the man's chest.

"You're good!" Angrenost said as they rode towards the castle. The invaders had fallen back, but Angrenost's army was doing what Freohr's forces had done. They were pressing the army from the three different sides of the city.

"Halt!" Angrenost yelled, holding his sword up and signaling his army to stop. "Horses can take us only this far, we won't be able to handle our own on horseback at the keep. We proceed on foot!"

They were standing in front of the army which was gathered around the keep, its gate had fallen. Angrenost glared at the army which stood between him and his father. He had to get to him before the army did.

Behind them, the infantry caught up. Danaher came to Leliana's side, who was standing next to Angrenost. They shared a smile, while Angrenost began issuing orders for archers to retake the rooftops and provide cover for the warriors as they would begin their charge.

Nolfavrell charged towards Freohr, Ramr raised. Freohr snarled and parried a blow from the sword, then jumped back as Nolfavrell slashed at him with his knife. Freohr retaliated with jab, which Nolfavrell parried with ease, but stepped back as Freohr jumped forward, sword raised. The blow missed him, narrowly, but Freohr rolled away just as Nolfavrell swung his sword at him.

Freohr jumped up eyed Nolfavrell cautiously, "Well done, Rider, well done . . . you obviously seem to be more in practice than that Prince of yours. He was too easy to defeat."

Nolfavrell shook his head, "That's because you haven't faced him head on yet."  
"Oh sure, he fled when we came face to face." Freohr told him.

Nolfavrell didn't reply, but instead attacked him back. Around them, the knights and soldiers of Carvahall were holding Freohr's army at the keep, while the archers rained arrows from the walls and from the windows of the castle. But there were just too many men to kill.

Nolfavrell knew that they would be overwhelmed soon. He could only hope that Angrenost made it to the castle in time. The best he could do was buy the Prince some time. Freohr smirked as blocked the Rider's blow, swinging the sword around. Nolfavrell knew that the man was trying to disarm him, and hurriedly pulled his sword back, before it was yanked out of his hand. Freohr snarled.

"How many will you kill, Rider? How many will you manage to stop? We are more in number . . ." Freohr told him, stepping away from Nolfavrell, who stood ready along with his knights. His men retreated as well, forming a straight line in front of Nolfavrell's men.

"As many as we have to." Nolfavrell replied. his chest heaving.

"We'll see." Freohr disappeared among his men, who charged in unison, yelling as one.

The knights steeled themselves, soldiers held their weapons ready, but Nolfavrell shouted, "Get back here!"

The invaders collided with the men of Carvahall once more. There were just forty or so men with Nolfavrell, many of whom were archers. On the other side, there were hundreds of men of Freohr, who had just disappeared.

Nolfavrell raised his palm, yelling, "Istlari!"

White flames burst out of his hand and incinerated five men. But the Freohr's forces kept charging, and the army clashed against the men of Carvahall. Nolfavrell parried a blow, and blasted three men away with magic, looking for Freohr, in vain.

 _He has something sinister planned, I am sure of it._ Nolfavrell thought.

 _If you say so, partner . . ._ Ohen replied, biting the Lethrblaka's neck.

 _* * *_

Freohr stayed still as his men ran past him, attacking the Rider. He sneered and snapped his fingers at a captain, "You and your men, follow me right now! We are going to find another way through this . . . and tell the others to surround that Rider's puny group and take them out one by one."

He had a plan to enter the castle, without facing the Rider again. There was no time, he had to slip away from the city before the Prince's forces reached him. He could see the balcony of some large hall above him, which he could easily reach if he managed to climb to the walls.

And so he hurried past his men, hurrying towards the stairs that would take him to the walls. The captain and twenty men followed him, while the rest were being fended off by the Rider and his forces. Freohr sneered, he could almost smell and taste his victory.

 _* * *_

Nolfavrell stabbed a man right through his heart, jumped up and blasted two men away, swung his sword around in an arc, knocking back two more men, and slashed a man's throat with his knife. But he still found it difficult to cut past them. More and more men just kept coming, one after another. It was as if the army he faced was endless. Every time he turned, someone was attacking him.

"Fall back! Fall back!" Nolfavrell yelled, archers trying to provide cover, but it was useless.

Freohr's forces were trying to surround them, attacking them from all sides. Nolfavrell found it difficult to fend off all the attacks that came toward him, he was thankful for the wards that he had placed around himself. There wasn't much hope now, there were too many men around him. He and his comrades were going to be overwhelmed.

 _Not if I can help it!_ A voice said in his mind, and there was an extremely loud roar from above. All the warriors stopped fighting and looked up in surprise. The last Lethrblaka fell, its body on fire. It fell straight, its wings unable to slow down its fall. Freohr's forces yelled in exclamation and began to hurry away from the gates of the keep, yelling curses.

But they were too late. With an extremely loud thud the Lethrblaka landed in the midst of the opposing army, crushing many men. Nolfavrell laughed, and watched and Ohen dived down set many more men on fire. They shrieked as they were roasted alive in their armor.

Ohen landed next to Nolfavrell, killing almost a dozen men with a single swing of his tail. _Nobody scares my Rider! That's my job._

 _Thank you, that makes me feel a lot better . . ._ Nolfavrell told him, but he was grinning.

 _I know it does! Now let's kill some deer . . . I mean, men . . . same thing!_ Ohen muttered the last few words, and lunged at them with his claws. _By the way, Nol, their leader is running on the wall of the keep, heading towards the archers . . . you might wanna stop him, eh?_

 _So that's where he went . . . I'll do that!_ Nolfavrell muttered and. ran forward. Ohen burnt some more men, and cleared the way for his Rider with a couple of swipes with his deadly tail just before he pulled out of the dive. That was all he needed to do. The invaders were already backing away, afraid of get maimed beyond repair.

 _That's right! Scurry away, filthy maggots . . . maggots aren't tasty, are they?_ Ohen muttered, growling at the men.

 _They might be, but I haven't tried any._ Nolfavrell replied, and sprinted towards the stairs, holding his sword aloft.

He ran up the steps, and emerged on the wall, and hurried towards the group of men who were heading towards the balcony of the castle. There are almost twenty of them! Nolfavrell thought and nearly jumped as Ohen dived towards the wall and set three of them on fire.

 _Better?_ Ohen asked, while Nolfavrell ran towards them.

 _You could take out a few more next time._ Nolfavrell thought, then raised his palm at the group, tossing his sword to his other hand.

"Boetq Istlari!" Nolfavrell yelled, and pure white fire shot of his hand, engulfing five men. Three of them fell off the wall, which had no railings or handholds for support. The remaining two yelled and fell to the floor, rolling around.

"It's the Rider! He's coming for us!" One of the remaining men shouted. Freohr turned around, glaring. Nolfavrell raised his sword, while the other drew their own weapons, "You are so annoying, why can't you just leave me be?"

"I guess I am just persistent, not annoying." Nolfavrell replied.

"Bah! Kill him . . . you four, come with me." Freohr said, then ran down the wall and leapt forward, grabbing the handholds on the railing of the balcony, which led to the conference hall, and pulled himself up.

 _Bloody hell! Freohr's inside the castle._ Nolfavrell cursed and ran towards the men.

 _I am sure he'll get lost in there . . . well, it's a hope at least._ Ohen said.

Angrenost stared at Nolfavrell from a distance, watching as the Rider followed the group of twenty men being led by Freohr. He was standing in front of Freohr's forces, who all seemed to be eyeing Ohen, who was flying above, with fear, as if hoping the dragon wouldn't target them.

Angrenost knew that Freohr was already inside the castle, which meant that he would have to get to the castle as well if he wanted to save his father. That's what his first priority was at the moment. The city had already been saved, Freohr's forces were in disarray without their leader. Ohen had destroyed their battering ram. They didn't have a leader to organize them now.

"Generals, take command!" Angrenost shouted, looking at the men who were leading the forces from the different cities.

"But sire, what about you?" The General of Tierm asked.

Angrenost smiled, "I have to help my friend there, and I have to save my father . . . Just kill those men, show mercy if they surrender, and secure the castle . . . after that, enter and check all the rooms as well . . . I have a king to save."

Saying this, Angrenost sprinted down the street to the left, intending to get to the wall from the other side of the keep. But luckily for him, someone in the sky spotted him.

 _* * *_

Nolfavrell blocked a blow from a hammer, and heaved Ramr forward, throwing the man back into his army. Whirling around, he struck aside a sword as it came for him and ducked under a mace. He got up yelling, "Kveykva!"

The men wielding the mace yelled in pain as electricity surged through his body. The other men looked at him in fright, and backed away from the Rider. Nolfavrell charged forward, swinging his sword around. The blow was parried by a man wielding a spear, and Nolfavrell backed away hurriedly as two men lunged at him.

"Time for more magic then!" Nolfavrell said, raising his palm. The men backed away from his hurriedly, but he shouted, "Jierda!" There was a loud sound of stone snapping apart, and the portion of the wall just below the men broke apart. Four of them fell down as the floor below them reduced to the rubble. The remaining were on the other side of the crack. Nolfavrell sighed.

He would have to cross the gap to get to the balcony, and apparently, the men on the other side weren't going to allow it. He was too exhausted to use magic now, after all that he had done.

 _Ohen?_ Nolfavrell muttered.

 _Don't worry, help is on its way . . . you forgot about Angrenost . . ._ the dragon replied, and he looked up in surprise as he heard a, "Hey, behind you!"

It was Angrenost, behind the men. His sword was drawn and he looked extremely filthy and battle weary. Nolfavrell blinked in surprise. _How did he get there?_

 _I gave him a little lift . . ._ Ohen replied.

 _When?_

 _Just now, when you broke the wall . . . now hurry, those men are distracted._ Ohen told him.

Nolfavrell returned to his senses and jumped across the broken portion of the wall, and pushed two men off. That seemed to end the moment of surprise.

"Prince, I am going to gut you!" A man yelled as he charged toward Angrenost, who parried the blow and kicked him away.

Nolfavrell swung his sword at a man wielding the spear, but his blow was easily parried. The Rider was exhausted, but not yet out of the battle.

"Take this!" Nolfavrell shouted and slashed the man's hip with his knife, then immediately retaliated with a stab right in the heart, through the man's chest plate. The man collapsed to the ground with a shudder.

Not stopping, Nolfavrell swung his sword around and threw another man off. Angrenost pushed a man off the wall, leaving only three more men on the wall, two of whom charged right at Nolfavrell. Nolfavrell parried a blow from one of them, jabbed his knife at the other, and jumped back as both men swung at him with their swords.

He ducked under another blow and blasted the man away with magic, blocked a blow from the other man with his sword and ended his life with a uppercut from his knife. In front of him, Angrenost was already sheathing his sword and hurrying towards Nolfavrell.

"Good timing my friend." Nolfavrell told him, shaking his hand.

"Thank your dragon." Angrenost replied. "Let's leave the talking for later and save my father first . . . I have a score to settle with Freohr."

"Sure thing, after you." Nolfavrell told him gesturing towards the balcony.


	81. Chapter 80

**Chapter 80: For the King!**

Angrenost and Nolfavrell sped up the stairs, heading for the Throne room, hoping to get there before Freohr. They were already lagging far behind, having taken so much time to deal with the men Freohr had left behind for them to care of. They could hear footsteps above them.

"How many men does my father have with him?" Angrenost asked the Rider by his side.

"I asked him to keep about twelve or so, but . . ." Nolfavrell trailed off.

"Yes, knowing my father, he has hardly five men with him, and that's not a good thing. They won't be able to stop Freohr." Angrenost told him.

"What makes you think we can stop him then?" Nolfavrell asked him.

"You know magic, that will be a great advantage against him . . . and, well, I have fought him before so I know how he fights, somewhat . . . don't ask, it's a long story." Angrenost said before Nolfavrell inquired more.

"This doesn't sound good at all. The two of us against Freohr and four of his men . . ." Nolfavrell said. "And they might just be his best men."

They were on the third level of the castle, which had a common staircase, leading to the Throne room. And that was exactly where Freohr was headed. Angrenost had his sword drawn, as did Nolfavrell, and they were sprinting as fast as they could. The footsteps above them had stopped, which probably meant that Freohr had reached the Throne room.

"That's not possible, he can't get there so fast!" Angrenost said. "The castle isn't that small."

"I think he is planning to ambush us . . ." Nolfavrell muttered, though he kept running.

"As long as he waits, we can get him." Angrenost told him, determined.

"My friend, I am exhausted, we are running . . . I don't have much magic left in me." Nolfavrell said. But suddenly, his face lit up, the weariness vanishing from his face. "Right, I do have some magic left in me, thanks to Ohen . . . Let's go cut some heads!"

But suddenly Angrenost stopped Nolfavrell and looked back. They had just passed a very thin string, which they had broken. The string had triggered something, which made the back of Angrenost's neck itch.

 _Heat! This can mean only one thing . . ._

"Jump!" Nolfavrell shouted, diving back from where they had come. Angrenost followed suit, not a second too soon.

There was a huge explosion just behind them, sending a wave of hot searing air outwards, throwing Angrenost and Nolfavrell away. Angrenost hit the floor hard, as did Nolfavrell, but they got up hurriedly to see the damage. Angrenost's mouth fell open.

The fourth level of the castle was on fire, they hadn't triggered just one explosion, but about half a dozen of them, in different places of the level. Angrenost cursed and stood up, the flight of stairs ahead of him blazing with fire.

"Of all the things that could go wrong! How could we be so stupid? . . . Can you use magic to get us through?" Angrenost asked Nolfavrell, who gave a low whistle.

"I can, but then I'll be too tired to fight . . . we need another way up." Nolfavrell said, and stared at Angrenost expectantly, as if the Prince knew the answer.

"We don't have much time! Freohr must be at the Throne room already . . ." Angrenost raised his eyebrows as he saw the look on Nolfavrell's face, "What?"

"The secret stairwell Roran had built! The one that reaches almost every floor, we can use that." Nolfavrell said.

"How do you know about that? I haven't even heard of it!" Angrenost said, while Nolfavrell just chuckled and hurried down the stairs, away from the fire. "Tell me already!"

"Angrenost, you'll understand that once you are married, alright?" Nolfavrell told him with a laugh.

"What're you talking about, you aren't married either . . . oh . . . oh right!" Angrenost stopped as he understood, and grinned, despite of himself. He understood why there was a stairwell. The king and queen had different quarters on the fourth floor, and the stairwell had access to both. They could visit each other without publicly announcing it.

"I was there when it was built, although I wasn't a Rider then . . . Since I became a Rider, I have been checking the passage at the king's orders, ensuring that things are safe in it and that the passage is still intact." Nolfavrell told him.

"Great . . . I hope it remains intact . . ." Angrenost told him, and Nolfavrell gave a small laugh. "You better hurry up now Angrenost."

They sprinted down the corridor on the second level. Angrenost didn't know where they were going, but Nolfavrell seemed to have an idea. He stopped suddenly, outside a room, and walked in. Angrenost raised an eyebrow, it was a very small room, and was probably meant for placing clothes which had to be washed. The room was empty at the time, but Nolfavrell headed to corner on the right and traced his finger along the wall from the bottom. Suddenly, his finger sank a bit in a depression in the wall.

Angrenost then realized that it was a sort of handle. Nolfavrell pulled it, and a portion of the wall swung out, as if it was a door.

Angrenost scratched the back of his head, confused. There weren't any stairs inside, there was a ladder. "Well, I forgot to mention that I don't know why people called it 'Roran's stairwell' when it was made. It has been years since I checked on it, and since I only do it when the king is with me . . ." Nolfavrell told him, then climbed up. The ladder creaked slightly, but supported his weight. Angrenost watched hismdisappear as he climbed up

"I had hoped for something more . . . comfortable, but anyhow, let's go." Angrenost followed Nolfavrell.

The next several minutes were that of extreme discomfort and scuffling for Angrenost. Whenever he climbed one entire level, there was a platform, from where he had to use another ladder to climb to the next level of the castle. They had to reach the sixth level. The fact that it was dark didn't help, although Nolfavrell created an orb of light, which led the way up.

By the time they reached the fifth floor, Angrenost's hair, armor and clothes were streaked with dust. Nolfavrell helped him, and pulled open a door. Blinding sunlight entered Angrenost's eyes, but he dashed out, into another similar room, from where they had entered 'Roran's stairwell'.

"Come on, Freohr still might be trying to get into the Throne room." Nolfavrell said and led the way outside the room. They darted down the corridor and headed from the stairs, but . . .

There was extremely loud explosion from the level just above them. Angrenost looked up in surprise, then ran even faster. But then, there were two more even louder explosions, making the floor tremble. One came from the level below them, and the other from the level above.

"What's happening?" Angrenost asked.

"Ships at the Anora River! They are using some sort siege engines . . . or catapults or something and shooting large, smoldering boulders at us! But there are just two of them." Nolfavrell told him.

"Hellfire!" Angrenost cursed.

"Don't worry, Ohen will take care of them." Nolfavrell assured him. Angrenost looked out of the window and saw Ohen flying towards them, roaring.

"We better get going then . . . I have a bad feeling about this . . ." Angrenost said, and drew his sword and charged up the stairs. He knew that there was the risk of traps, but he had to get to his father.

Nolfavrell followed suit, Ramr drawn. They emerged at the sixth floor, and stopped, shocked for a moment at what they saw. The doors of the Throne room had been blasted apart, and there was a battle going on inside. Behind the fight, the wall behind the Throne room had vanished, just bits and debris remained, thanks to the ships.

The Throne Room was a beautiful room, at least it had been. There were no columns, it was like a large hall. There were lots of tables near the walls of the room, the Throne was a little away from the wall just behind it. There were many paintings on the walls, mostly of kings and queens, but even of Riders. Now, the room was devastated, the wall behind the Throne broken apart.

"Father!" Angrenost yelled and sprinted into the room.

Orothrim was fighting two men, while Freohr and two of his men were handling four guards. Even as Angrenost watched, Freohr lunged at the king, and the two men attacking Orothrim turned away and attacked the guards, hacking suddenly at one of them. Angrenost shouted, "Freohr! Its time to end this!"

Freohr scowled, "You! I've had just about enough . . ."

"Sire, back away!" Nolfavrell shouted, and Freohr snarled.  
"Rider, you have crossed me for the last time . . . men, blast them!" Freohr said.

Angrenost and Nolfavrell looked at each other, then jumped away as one of the soldiers threw something at them. It missed and rolled outside the room. Angrenost got up and charged at Freohr, but Nolfavrell got to him first. Freohr parried a blow from the Rider and backed away as Nolfavrell came between the King and Freohr. There was a loud explosion from outside the room as the explosive went off. Angrenost could smell something burning then, but he had more pressing matters to attend to.

Angrenost attacked Freohr's men, who had killed another guard. He kicked one of them in the gut and knocked him out with a bash in the head with the pommel of his sword. He ducked then, dodging a swing from a mace, and retaliated with a jab. The blow was parried, but Angrenost pressed the attack, swinging from the left, then stabbing, and finally punching the man in the face with his free hand. The man stumbled back, and jumped at Angrenost, who moved to the side hurriedly.

Another guard fell, and Angrenost began fighting even more ferociously, lunging forward as fast as he could. He struck the mace aside and feinted left, then emerged to right and beheaded the man. Without stopping, he attacked the next man, while the remaining guard took down one of them. It was two against two.

Angrenost blocked the blow from the man's sword and threw him back. He fell to the ground, and gasped in pain as a sword stabbed him through the heart. Angrenost then moved in towards the next man, who was the last one remaining. But he was in for a nasty surprise.

The man pulled another one of those small explosives, which was sparkling with a flame, and grinned. Angrenost stared at the guard, and they both turned tail and sprinted. But the man didn't throw it at them, instead he threw it at Nolfavrell, who was still fighting Freohr. Orothrim had backed away to the Throne, his sword still drawn.

"Nolfavrell!" Angrenost shouted. The explosive hit him squarely in the face, dazing him for a moment. But the rider returned to his sense and hurriedly dived towards cover behind a table. He was a split second too late.

The explosive erupted while Nolfavrell was in midair, throwing him away towards the wall to the left. He hit one of the paintings there, extremely hard, and fell to the ground. He seemed to have been knocked out cold. Somewhere outside the castle, Ohen roared in dismay.

Bits of wood flew in every direction after the explosion. The leg of a table bashed Angrenost's head as he made to get up to help the Rider, making him fall to the ground hard. His vision blurred and he could feel his head spinning. His legs felt like lead, and his forehead was bleeding. He found it difficult to hear anything.

"Father . . ." Angrenost muttered as his eyesight and hearing returned, and he got to his knees hurriedly. His head was aching, but other than that he was fine. He looked around and saw the last of Freohr's men had been killed in the blast. Behind him, the guard was unconscious, blood oozing out of his mouth. Angrenost looked around, there was dust in the air, making it difficult to see.

"Angrenost, I am here." His father's voice said, and Angrenost turned towards him and hurried forward.

Orothrim was standing there, behind a wreckage of tables and chairs, he smiled at him. Angrenost smiled as well, "You have no idea how much trouble I've had to go through to get here . . . at least I was able to save you, and Carvahall."

Orothrim nodded, "Aye, I have heard of your adventures . . . how you single handedly saved Tierm, among many others."

Suddenly, there was the sound of something moving, like a boot scraping the dust off the ground. Angrenost tensed and held his sword ready, "Freohr is still here somewhere, be on your-"

"Nice move Prince!" A voice full of triumph shouted, and Orothrim choked suddenly.  
Freohr emerged from behind the king, and Angrenost yelled, "FATHER!" But there was no use. Freohr's sword protruded out of the king's chest, who gulped slightly, and looked at Angrenost with eyes of horror. His eyes met Angrenost's and for that moment, time seemed to stop.

Angrenost's heart stopped beating as he saw his father die, nothing seemed to be moving. Every emotion, every thought within him receded, held back by a wail of despair as Angrenost felt his hope being crushed. He had travelled far, rallied men from different cities, fought all the way, just to see his father being killed by the very monster whom Angrenost had first seen in Beirland.

And then, the moment passed. Freohr pulled his sword out and laughed coldly as the king fell to the ground, his eyes rigid. Angrenost watched his father fall, and with each second, his despair was replaced with rage. Dust flew in all direction as his father's body hit the floor, and Angrenost bellowed in rage.

He jumped over the debris of tables and lunged at Freohr, who grinned and parried the swing, "Oh, aren't you angry? . . . Lost your puny little king, haven't you?"

"Die! Die, you bastard!" Angrenost shouted at him, swinging and slashing at him as hard as could, Freohr backed away from him, surprised at the ferocity of his attacks. He had managed to block them both, but Angrenost was hammering his sword onto Freohr's, pushing him away.

"Prince, you should calm down." Freohr mocked, and blocked the blow from Angrenost. He twirled his sword to the side and locked it with Angrenost's, the blades joint at the cross-guards. Angrenost tried to heave him away, but Freohr held on, a wicked sneer on his face. Angrenost wanted nothing more than to force his face in front of a ballista and fire.

"You are going to die for this . . .I am going to kill you!" Angrenost shouted at him and heaved even harder. Freohr looked at his sword in surprise as the blade slipped away and he was pushed back, falling to the floor. But he rolled away and hurriedly backed unknowingly towards a large window. Angrenost ran at him and swung his sword.

Freohr ducked under the blow, making Angrenost lose his balance and fall away. Freohr stood up and charged at him, but Angrenost threw the remaining portion of a table at him, hitting him in the stomach. Freohr stumbled back, and cursed at Angrenost.

"You are the one who is going to die, Prince. I am going to stick you just the way I killed your king." Freohr shouted, but Angrenost yelled in rage and rammed against him with his shoulder.

Freohr yelped in surprise and fell towards the wooden doors of the window. They broke apart from the force with which he hit the doors, and he flew past, outside. Angrenost hurried towards the broken doors of the window and saw the scaffolding outside, on which Freohr was getting to his feet.

Then it struck him that this wasn't a window, it was just a makeshift covering used while the workers repaired the damage Ohen had done while landing inside the castle. Freohr was fortunate, but Angrenost climbed up the rampart, onto the scaffolding. Freohr stood up and stared at Angrenost in surprise and a little fear, which the Prince didn't notice. Angrenost noticed that his leg was slightly crooked, he had probably twisted it during the blast, which was why he wasn't able to move around properly.

Angrenost raised his sword, but Freohr turned and ran awkwardly down the rampart which had been made. Some of it had been broken away by the attacks from the ship, leaving wide gaps. Angrenost chased him, enjoying the moment. He could feel the blood pumping through his body, rage and vengeance running in his veins. He was going to kill Freohr, and he knew it.

"Stop running you coward! Don't you want to fight?" Angrenost shouted at him. Freohr stopped running and looked back at the Prince.

"I have finished what I was sent to do Prince! I have no other purpose, or motive to drive me, but if it's a battle that you want . . . then it's a battle that you will get." Freohr held his sword ready, and watched as Angrenost charged towards him.

Their swords clashed, sparks bursting. Angrenost sidestepped Freohr's slash, ducked under his swing and parried his jab. He retaliated with a lung at Freohr, sword swinging ahead of him. Freohr blocked the blow, and made to punch Angrenost in the stomach, but Angrenost grabbed his arm with his free hand and heaved in an arc, swing Freohr around and throwing him down the rampart.

"Aren't you strong now, Prince!" Freohr told him, while Angrenost just charged at him in response. Freohr backed away hurriedly, and Angrenost knew that this time he had no intention of saving honor or dignity.

"Stand and fight!" Angrenost yelled, chasing Freohr, who turned at the corner of the walls and kept running down the ramparts. Angrenost was closing, as he turned around at the corner and sprinted after him. Ahead of them, Angrenost saw that the ramparts were joined to the balcony of the Conference Hall. If Freohr got there, it would be extremely difficult to catch him afterwards.

But Angrenost was getting closer and closer, and he dived at Freohr. They both hit the wood hard, and Freohr growled in the most unexpected way. Angrenost gave cry of surprise as Freohr kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. In response, Angrenost punched him in the face. Freohr yelled and kicked Angrenost again, making him fall towards the wall.

They both got to their feet, Angrenost swung his sword at Freohr, but Freohr grabbed his wrist and kicked him in groin, making Angrenost groan and double over in pain. Freohr gave a cry of triumph and raised the sword, "Well Prince, an unexpected ending of your family, isn't it?"

Angrenost looked up at him, seeing the raised sword which already had blood on its tip. Time froze in that moment and as Angrenost saw the look on Freohr's face, he remembered just one thing. The very sword that was about to kill him now, had claimed the life of his possible. He had failed to save his father, for whom he had travelled so far, gathered an army and handled so many things which were way higher than what was meant for someone his age. He was not going to let all of it go to waste. Adrenaline rushed through his body, his face grew red as time unfroze and as the sword began to descend towards him, Angrenost did the craziest thing of his life.

He jumped forward at Freohr as hard as he could, making him drop the sword and fly forward along with Angrenost. They both fell into thin air, away from the scaffolding. Freohr yelled in surprise as they fell down. Angrenost punched Freohr, who tried to roll over so that Angrenost would take the fall. But the Prince held on, and punched him again.

They fell into the midst of battling soldiers, who all backed away from Freohr and Angrenost, except the soldiers on top of whom they had fallen. Angrenost stood up hurriedly, and grabbed a hammer from the ground. Freohr just stared at him. Angrenost watched him, suddenly intimidated.

Freohr looked completely different, his mouth was longer, like a wolf's. His teeth were all canines and his arms and knees were buckled. He had become taller, almost seven feet, and his ears had become long. His hair looked like fur. As a whole, Freohr looked more like a tall, wild wolf on two legs.

Angrenost and all the other men backed away from him hurriedly as he howled in rage and snapped the spear, his fingers and nails growing to claws. Everyone, even Freohr's own men seemed to be frightened.

"Prince! You have crossed the line! Time for you to die!" He growled, and began to advance towards Angrenost, who was frozen. He had never faced anything like this. The hammer slipped and fell from his shivering hands.

"W-What are you?" Angrenost asked, taking a step back as Freohr advanced towards him.

"I am Freohr . . . I am DEATH!" He shouted and charged at him, slashing with his claws. Angrenost jumped to the ground, and rolled between Freohr's legs, emerging behind him. He hurriedly grabbed a spear from the ground and Freohr turned to face him.

"Prince, you are going to die, you hear! I shall feast on your heart!" Freohr shouted and began to run at Angrenost again, who hurriedly began to retreat. But all of a sudden, an arrow flew right at Freohr, embedding itself in his shoulder.

Freohr howled in pain and stumbled back. Angrenost took his chance and threw the spear like a javelin. The shaft embedded itself in Freohr's stomach, who shrieked in pain this time. He grabbed, both the arrow and the spear, with his hands, he pulled them out of his flesh and threw them to the ground, and advanced on Angrenost, who hurriedly grabbed a sword and a spiked mace from the ground, which had been dropped by dead soldiers.

Another arrow struck Freohr in his hand, and Angrenost threw the mace at him. It turned out to be heavier than he thought, and he lost his balance upon throwing it, which changed his aim. The mace struck Freohr's leg, who pulled both the weapons out again, but before he could do more Angrenost did the next most stupid thing in his life.

He charged, yelling, "You DIE!" and jumped at Freohr . . .

The next thing he knew, something hit him hard from the left, and Angrenost flew to the right and hit the wall of the castle extremely hard, his back plate denting, making him cry out in pain. His arm felt like it was broken, as well some of his ribs. He crumpled to the ground, and he heard a yell, "Angrenost!" from two different places.

He looked at Freohr, and shook his head. He could see two of him, and his eyes widened in surprise. Both Freohrs seemed to be laughing at him, but suddenly there was extremely loud roar, and Ohen dived towards him, fire bursting from his maw. Something grabbed Angrenost's arm, and he yelped and began moving away. But then, his chest burst with pain, making him scream.

He felt himself lose control of his body as he fell to the ground. He vision blurred and finally, he blacked out. The last thing he saw was Freohr howling and thrashing, his body on fire.


	82. Chapter 81

_Chapter 81: Shades and Magic_

 _Ah, daylight again . . . it has been a while since we spent such a long time in the tunnels._ Saphira thought, roaring in delight as the caves ended and the skies stretched ahead. The other dragons followed her example, and Bid'daum launched himself into the air, commenting that his wings had become sore.

 _True, and I really need to take a nap!_ Eragon told her, walking next to his namesake. Jeffron and Sianelle were right behind him, but there was another Rider with them. His name was Phriones, and he was the Rider of the black dragon who had been there in the battle at Ellrion; the name of the dragon Hugin. Eragon had been surprised at them, the elf was quite young, just sixty or so years old, and was quite tall and muscular with dark hair. He and Eragon the First were the last Riders in Alalea.

Eragon had meant to ask how he had joined them, but he guessed that Eragon the First had had a dragon egg with him, meant for a Rider, and it had chosen Phriones. But that wasn't an important matter now, it was that they were just a day away from Ureimes.

The most interesting fact was their surrounding, which was hilly and grassy for the most part, but to the east, Eragon could see an extremely large forest. Eragon the First had told him that it was the same forest as Du Weldenvarden, which stretched across countries, and that it was the way Anurin had gone when he had tried to return to Alagaesia.

"It is a slower route as compared to the sea, as it takes almost three months, but the sea was being watched by Crugan's minions then." Eragon the First was telling him now, as he noticed Eragon watching the forest.

"I see . . ." Eragon said, the tall pines reminding him of Alagaesia, where he was supposed to be. He turned to the west, and to his surprise, saw a range of tall mountains, taller than the mountains of the Spine, but not as tall as the Beor Mountains. The mountains emerged at the coast, which had been the mountain that Saphira had spotted from the sea, and stretched along ahead for unknown distance.

"Those mountains, do their ranges end anywhere?" Eragon joked, following the range until it disappeared ahead. There was a river following the ranges, heading towards the direction of Ureimes.

"They do, very far away . . . this will take a little explaining to do though." Eragon the First said, and Eragon turned to him, interested. "Alalea is extremely huge, more than four times Alagaesia. That forest itself can cover most of Alagaesia."

That was a surprise to Jeffron and Sianelle, who looked at the forest, while Phriones just smiled. The elf didn't speak much, but he wasn't very quiet either. He looked like he was enjoying what was going on. Eragon the First continued talking, "There are four mountain ranges in Alalea, all of whom run down different and opposite directions and two of whom seemed to have emerge somewhere outside the land, but converge here, in Alalea . . . they all converge at the center, where there is a small circle of mountains."

"You mean, the mountains come from the north-east, north-west, south-east and south-west?" Jeffron asked.

"Yes." Phriones replied.

"Now these ranges divide Alalea into four quarters, and each race had occupied each quarter for themselves. But that changed after elves and humans began leaving for other lands, and the dwarves arrived from the underground somewhere in the north. Then, all the four races collaborated and decided that Alalea needed one ruler. Thus, there wasn't much differentiation among the races, and they all came together as one. Ureimes was chosen as the capital for Alalea, where the Ruler resided . . . There used to be a lot of trading in the region, but that has stopped completely in the last five years . . ." Eragon the First told him.

Eragon stared at him in surprise, "Why's that?"

"Because the Ruler has been toppled from his Throne . . . so the elves have retreated to the forests, humans, dwarves and Ra'zac have returned to their own respective quarters" Eragon the First told him, making Eragon raise his eyebrows.

"Who was the ruler?" Eragon asked him.

"I was . . . I ruled Alalea." Eragon the First said.

 _What?!_ Saphira asked in extreme surprise, something which Eragon felt too.

"How? You are from Alagaesia." Eragon told him, but Eragon the First smiled.

"I have been here for a very long time, Eragon . . . when I followed Crugan here, he was nowhere to be found. But at the time, there was a war going on in the country, with the Ra'zac, Lethrblaka and Urgals on one side, elves, humans and dwarves on the other side. The elves had lost their own leader, and they weren't able to decide who would lead them . . . that's where I came in, I saved their lords, and the Human monarch from an ambush . . . so, I had their support and I explained my situation to them." Eragon the First told him.

"So, they agreed for you to lead them?" Sianelle asked him, curious.

"No, it wasn't that easy. I and the others had to fight in the war, and with our help, the Ra'zac and the Urgals were defeated. After that, there was a lot of strife among the races, and so they decided that the person who was new to all this would be the best suited as the Ruler, and that I would be best suited for it. It caused a little panic and anger at first, but soon, they were able to accept me quite well. Six hundred years is a long time." Eragon the First smiled slightly.

"So, where did Crugan come in?" Jeffron asked.

Eragon the First sighed, "After the Ra'zac were defeated, we thought that they wouldn't try to battle us again, but we were wrong . . . six hundred years were more than enough for them to regain their numbers, and they had a new leader . . . this is another very long topic."

"We have another day before we reach Ureimes . . " Phriones muttered. Eragon the First turned to him, but Phriones just grinned at him.

"Fine then, the place where the ranges converge, which I mentioned earlier, later on became the home of a very evil dragoness . . . she was pure evil and . . . well, she had powers that no one can fathom now." Eragon the First said, and nodded at Phriones, who looked extremely interested. "She was connected to the spirit realm, and could control spirits, the extremely evil ones. This dragon was actually the mother of the race of Lethrblaka . . . whenever it mated with a dragon, she laid eggs which gave Ra'zac and then later, then became Ra'zac."

Eragon had to agree now, he was astounded. This was a little too much for him understand, "How could a dragon be that way?"

"It was an abomination of sorts, no one knows where it came from, but it took five dragons to defeat and kill it . . . it was killed and left to rot in its home, but even its bones were enough, for someone skilled in necromancy, to extract information from." Eragon the First said, and shook his head slowly. "Unfortunately for us, Crugan visited the place, and learned everything he could from there . . ."

"He can control spirits?!" Jeffron exclaimed. Sianelle winced, and there were emotions of shock from Saphira's mind. Eragon's mind just went numb.

"Yes . . . and he can create more Shades . . . He has been changing things at Alagaesia through the shades that he created." Eragon the First said, shaking his head. "The shade who taught that rogue Rider king, Galbatorix, I am pretty sure that it was Zar'rac, or perhaps it was Orúm. He created them both, to do his bidding, and through some twisted means, he melded the different identities of the spirits into one."

"Durza was like that . . . he addressed himself as a single person, but . . . there was an incidence when he got confused as to how he should call himself." Eragon said, recalling the memory Heslant had showed him. Things seemed to be falling into the right place now.

"Yes, and . . . he can create shades almost anywhere. As I said, he can control spirits. I think that he sent spirits to Alagaesia, and they took the first host they could, creating Durza . . ." Eragon the First told him.

"Wait now . . . you are saying that Crugan was actually the one who provoked Galbatorix into the massacre that he did." Jeffron muttered. Eragon the First nodded at him, while Eragon stayed silent.

"But then, who is this Freohr character who is attacking the Broddring Kingdom?" Sianelle asked, making Eragon look at her in exclamation.

"What're you saying?" Eragon asked.

"Ebrithil you don't . . . Freohr and his men attacked Beirland, and took it over, then tried to attack Tierm, but Prince Angrenost saved the city, and the last I heard, he was heading for Carvahall." Sianelle told him. Jeffron nodded as well, making Eragon scratch the back of his head. His students knew more than he did.  
"How do you know all this?" He asked them, while Eragon the First and Phriones watched them.

"Five Riders, one of them is my friend, were sent to Carvahall by Murtagh, but apparently, he thinks they are late." Sianelle told him, but Jeffron just grinned.

"Friend, Sianelle?" He asked, his voice rather amused.

Sianelle blushed slightly and pushed him back, "Fine, he is my mate . . ."

Eragon stared at them, then laughed, "Now that's why I am glad I brought you two along, you are more in touch with Alagaesia that I am."

"What about Ebrithil Arya?" Jeffron asked him.

Eragon didn't reply to him, but the truth was that he was a little annoyed at Arya now. She had left him exactly when things were getting worse where he was, and he knew that he needed her. But she wasn't there for him, and that just made him sad and angry. He knew it wasn't very mature of him, being the Lead Rider and all, but he had feelings too.

"She . . . she hasn't been in contact anymore . . . so anyway, Eragon, what were you saying?" Eragon asked him namesake, hurriedly changing the topic.

"Oh, I was just finishing the story of Crugan's rise to power, Eragon." Eragon the First said, smiling at him. "So, Crugan sent the spirits who formed Durza, to Alagaesia, and he was extremely annoyed when the shade was killed, by you . . . but at that time, he himself was regaining his power and preparing slowly, waiting underground for the Ra'zac to increase in number . . . It took him eighty more years, in which time he slowly began conquering cities at the edge of the map. We didn't pay much attention to it, and I admit; I had become a little careless then . . . and that mistake cost me a lot in the battle."

Eragon shook his head, "What're you saying?"

Eragon the First sighed mightily, his face a little strained as if he was recalling something that had caused him a lot of pain, "My mate had told me several times to send someone to check those attacks, but I kept procrastinating . . . but then, Crugan declared complete war against us by attacking the main trading city of the humans. We were caught by surprise, but Crugan's armies were everywhere at once, attacking the dwarves, and the Elves. Soon, Ureimes was cut off as all the other cities fell, one by one."

"Didn't you have your own defenses?" Eragon asked him.

"We did, but we were divided, whereas they were a huge army . . . we never faced each other in a proper battle, Crugan is extremely cunning that way, he and his fellow shades attacked different cities at the same time, which divided the forces which we sent to aid them. Finally, Ureimes became the city of the last stand of the elves, humans and dwaves. Urgals were aloof from both sides, having problems of their own. There have never been dragons in Alalea, except the ones that migrated from other countries."

"So, then what?" Jeffron asked eagerly.

"The Battle for Ureimes lasted for two weeks, the city was attacked again and again. We couldn't defend it forever, and finally, the Lethrblaka swooped down upon us, and there were too many of them for us to fend off . . . Crugan and his shades were together and they were an extremely strong force. My mate and her partner were slain in the battle, Anurin had already lost his own mate in the battles before . . ." Eragon the First fell silent then, looked around the plain.

"We were defeated, and forced to flee as Crugan occupied the city, and this happened an year and a half ago. After that, there have been many battles fought as I and Anurin raced from place to place, saving cities and convincing them to leave their homes and head for Ellrion . . . that's how we raised this army, and when we had enough numbers, I sent Anurin to ask for aid from Alagaesia. Then, you know what happened."

Eragon had his eyes closed as he let the story sink in. It looked like Alalea had been through a hard time as well, but there was another thing that Eragon wasn't able to understand, "But then, are you saying that Crugan sent his minions through the forest to Du Weldenvarden?"

"I do not know, that is one thing I am not all sure about . . .for one thing, Zar'rac was spotted by the elves in the forest, three weeks ago. He can't have reached Alagaesia in three weeks through the forest, and we know that he didn't use the ships . . ." Eragon the First said. "There is another way of travelling large distances, and it can be done instantly, but there are many conditions for it."

"You mean interpreting wild magic?" Eragon asked absent mindedly. His namesake looked at him in surprise.

"So you do know about it." He said.

"Not much, but I do know that once wild magic is interpreted, it can used as a portal to transport anyone and anything instantly from one place to another . . . provided that the destination is also a place where wild magic prevails." Eragon the First told him.

Eragon stared at him, then asked, "Can you do this?"  
"I have never done it before, but I know how to . . ." Eragon the First replied. "And I have a feeling that Crugan has done exactly the same, because there is a pool of water at the Great Hall of Ureimes, which has a great quantity of wild magic. The water from it is extremely refreshing, and can heal any wound, but I don't think that is has any of its properties now, if Crugan has changed it . . . the more I think of it, the more is seems probable."

They stopped talking after that, and Eragon took his time to see the army Eragon the First had put together. It was extremely large, there hundreds of thousands of elves, humans, and dwarves. The only Urgals were the ones Eragon had brought with him, and they were keeping themselves to themselves for the most part, while the other races were talking with extreme interest, especially the elves.

The rest of the journey was quite uneventful, there was nothing more in it, except the great scenery and the changing landscape. The hills flattened to plains, the grass grew softer and the forest came closer. Ureimes wasn't present in the forest, it was on the plains, near a river, and Eragon could see a faint outline of the city ahead of them.

But when night came, they kept walking, not stopping. Eragon had thought that they would make camp, but apparently Eragon the First had different ideas. They kept marching through the night, the dragons crawling alongside on foot. The humans behind them trudged on, although they were extremely tired and drowsy. Eragon the First promised that they would be able to rest after they had covered the required distance.

Morning came, and Eragon looked back to see Jhonas walking with his eyes like red slits. His face showed exhaustion and was pale with the lack of sleep. Eragon the First announced that they would keep marching for another hour, after which they would stop and rest.

Eragon could see the city of Ureimes ahead of him, and he had to admit, it was beautiful. The city had eight tall towers on the eight corners of its outer walls. The entire city was made of a stone which seemed to shine like gold, although it really wasn't gold. Eragon could make out the difference, it wasn't lustrous or bright, but it did resemble the metal itself. In the center of the city was an enormous castle, with lots and lots of balconies, windows and a large keep. The city was larger than Carvahall, but like the capital of the Broddring Kingdom, even this capital was on the banks of a wide river.

 _It's such a nice place . . ._ Eragon thought, wondering how life would be in this city. It would probably be a little fast and noisy for his liking, so he put the thought aside.

 _The city seems to be so quiet, doesn't it?_ Saphira thought.

Eragon the First seemed to be thinking the same, "There would usually be many Lethrblaka around here, but I can't sense anyone or anything. Even the trees, and the birds do not seem to know of any Ra'zac or Lethrblaka nearby."

Eragon stared at the city, then at Eragon the First. _Saphira, I have a really bad feeling about this . . ._

 _I am right next to you._ Saphira replied, and a tail coiled around his waist, making him look around.

 _Should we go and check?_ Eragon asked her.

 _We should . . . I have a horrible feeling about this too._ Saphira told him.

"Generals, take command and lead the army to the city . . . Riders and dragons, take to the air, we shall check the city from above . . . something tells me that we won't have to fight any Lethrblaka." Eragon the First muttered.

Within minutes they were up in the sky, and heading for the city. Normally, Eragon would have expected war horns going loud, and people yelling. But there was nothing like that at the city of Ureimes. Things were completely still and silent, as if there was nobody there.

Eragon looked around, and there was something that he noticed about the city's port. It didn't have a single ship or boat. It stirred a thought within him, but he let it slip. He was probably going to be in a battle soon.

Or was he?

There were no arrows flying towards them, no response from the city, even when Bid'daum roared loudly and let out a plume of fire. It was as if the city was dead. Eragon turned to look at his namesake, who gave him a grim look and pointed at the city. Eragon looked around, and saw Bid'daum flying towards it and gliding around it. Saphira and the others followed his lead.

 _The city . . . it's empty._ Saphira said.

 _There is no one there?_ Eragon asked, then saw Bid'daum land in the gardens in the keep of the gigantic castle. Saphira swooped down and landed next to the dragon. The others followed them, and the Riders got off with their swords drawn.

"Now, I am surprised . . ." Eragon the First said, looking around, then aimed his hand at the top of a guard post and blasted off a flag. The pole fell to the ground with a loud clang, but there was no response to the sound. "What did Crugan do? Where is everyone? . . . I can't sense anyone in this city. Even Crugan cannot hide all of them without his minions . . ."

Phriones stared at his master, "Perhaps there is no one here . . ."

"What makes you say that?" Jeffron asked.

"I don't see anyone, that's why." Phriones replied and shrugged.

"He . . . is right, there is no one here." Eragon the First said, making Eragon look at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Eragon asked.

"We . . . We are too late, Crugan has made his move . . . that army he sent to Ellrion was a distraction to keep us preoccupied while he prepared to leave . . . us heading for the capital just made things a lot easier for him." Eragon the First said, and his calm stature suddenly changed as a look of extreme rage passed his face. He pointed his palm at the wall and blasted away a chunk of it, then gave shout.

Eragon stared at him, and slowly, the horrible sinking feeling of the situation began to bear down upon him. He had come expecting a war, and he had ended up getting tricked.

"What do you mean?" Eragon asked, taking a step towards Eragon the First. "That all this was for nothing?"

"No, we have retaken Ureimes alright . . . but, there is no one here. Everyone is gone . . . just gone." Eragon the First said.

Then Eragon realized, as the last piece of puzzle fell into place. "They have left for Alagaesia . . . they left a week, or two weeks ago . . ."

Eragon the First nodded, and Eragon didn't want to look at Jeffron and Sianelle, but he knew that both of them had extremely astonished faces. He didn't even want to look at Saphira, but he knew that she had felt the wave of guilt and regret that had coursed through him.

 _This is not . . . what I expected._ Eragon thought, as he realized what he had just done. _Oh no, Saphira . . . what have I done?_ Eragon asked her, his thoughts going numb as his feelings were stripped away from him. There was nothing he could think of, except how foolish he had been, how hasty he had been to help Eragon the First. Had it all been worth it?

 _Little one, you haven't done anything wrong._ Saphira said. It was just our bad luck, nothing else.

 _Crugan is heading for Alagaesia . . . he is going to kill everyone in his path._ Eragon thought, and slowly, anger and panic grew in him. And there was only one way out for him now.

"We came all the way here, but when we are needed back at Alagaesia . . . we should have left for Alagaesia as soon as I saved you and your city . . ." Eragon said, talking to Eragon the First.

"I am aware of what you are thinking, but I didn't anticipate this anymore that you did." Eragon the First told him.

"I did not anticipate anything, because I thought that the Great Eragon would know how to tackle this menace . . . but looks like the Shade got the better of you." Eragon told him.

"You know nothing of Crugan." Eragon the First said in a low, threatening voice. "I am the one who has faced him, not you . . . I have been protecting Alagaesia all along."

"By ruling Alalea?" Sianelle asked.

"Don't talk to him that way!" Phriones said, pointing his finger at her.

"Watch your own tongue." Jeffron came to Sianelle's side.

"Calm down, everyone . . ." Eragon the First said, but Eragon was not done yet.

"I trusted your judgment!" Eragon shouted suddenly, making Eragon the First wince. "I journeyed at your request, and now my home, my people and my family, all are under the threat of this filthy Shade whom you couldn't kill!"

"You are out-" Eragon the First began, but Eragon didn't stop.

"You better find a way back to Alagaesia, interpret whatever magic you want, but I have to get back to Alagaesia . . . and you are coming with me. I have been listening to you so far, but now, we do things my way . . . it is my home on the line!" Eragon told him.

Eragon the First sighed, then shook his head, "Our home is on the line, Eragon . . . and trust me when I say, I will find a way to get all of us back as soon as possible."

 _We still have some time in our hands, we can warn the others of the threat which is coming for them . . . All is not lost._ Saphira told him.

Eragon didn't give her a reply, but she understood from his thoughts that it wasn't going to be easy to persuade him otherwise. Eragon kept looking around at the city of Ureimes, where the army had now assembled. Soldiers were checking homes, but most of the army was grouped on the way that led to the keep of the castle.

They had reached the capital of Alalea, only to find the city empty. Crugan had escaped from Alalea, and was already heading towards Alagaesia, things didn't look so good now. Eragon had come in the completely wrong direction, when he was needed the most back home. The Lead Rider didn't have a plan for this situation, and fortunately for him, he didn't need one.


	83. Chapter 82

**Chapter 82: Interpreting Wild Magic**

"Calm down, Eragon. There is still much that we can do . . ." Eragon the First was saying.

"And what might that be?" Eragon asked him. Two days had passed since they had arrived at Ureimes, and even now Eragon was still stuck in Alalea. He had to return to his own homeland, away from this place.

"We need to go to Alagaesia, and fast . . .we cannot use the ocean or the forest . . ." Eragon the First told him, even though Eragon didn't turn around with a matter-of-fact expression. He even had half a mind to say. "I figured that out already, now what?!"

"So, we cannot use ships, and we cannot use the forest . . . we can't transport everyone on dragons, and I am pretty sure Saphira won't be able to fly that far." Eragon replied.

Eragon the First sighed, "I know how you feel, but you must have faith in me. I called you here, and I am going to find a way back . . . we need to help Alagaesia, I need to help you just as you helped us."

"Yes . . . yes, you do." Eragon said, burying his hands in the pocket of his pants. He was in the courtyard of the city of Ureimes, near the castle. The city was outstandingly beautiful, although it had scars of the war that had taken place earlier.

The city was full of history, statues of great kings and queens stood along the roads, reminding the people of the leaders who had passed away. This was the great legacy of the city, now tarnished by the horrible war. The roads around the city which coiled in and out of each other, with crossings almost everywhere, and the extremely intelligent planning of the city, all allowed a person to reach anywhere in the city within minutes, faster still if the person had the speed of an elf.

But all that was outside the keep of the castle. Inside the keep, everything was different. The keep octagonal in shape, with a small tower built on each corner of the wall. The way into the castle was another huge set of doors, which led into a large entrance hall. There were many floors, each having quarters for different people.

And within the keep, there was a ring of gardens, which was where Eragon and Eragon the First were discussing. "I do and I have an idea . . . I just haven't tried it yet." Eragon the First muttered, walking towards the castle.

"Oh?" Eragon said.

"Yes . . . and I intend to try it right now, I have been preparing for it all night . . ." Eragon the First told him.

"Try what?" Eragon asked. Eragon the First gave him a raised eyebrow, and it dawned on him. "You are going to try and interpret magic, I suppose . . . Will you be able to do that?"

"Oh yes, and I want you to be there . . ." Eragon the First said.

Eragon shrugged and walked alongside him, into the castle. They walked past the large entrance hall, and hurried into the kitchen by a small door on the left. They walked past the kitchen, went through another set of small doors and emerged in an extremely large and long conference hall, with a pool of water in the centre. At least that was what it looked like, until Eragon noticed that it wasn't reflecting light, but instead giving out a faint blue light of its own.

"Is that . . . ?" Eragon trailed away as the light grew brighter.

"The Pool of Veneration . . . It is wild magic, a blessing from a dragon of the old, who was from Alagaesia . . . . he goes by the name Kuthian." Eragon the First replied, making Eragon smile. "You sure must know him."

"I do know him . . . He created the Rock of Kuthian, and the Vault of Souls." Eragon replied. For a moment, Eragon the First did look surprised, but he continued talking.

"We can use this for transport back to Alagaesia . . . it is big enough for Saphira and the others, except Bid'daum . . . But I will get him there. All I need to do is interpret this wild magic, and connect it to some sight of wild magic in Alagaesia . . ." Eragon the First said.

"Which one?" Eragon asked.

"We will decide once I interpret the magic . . . now, I'll go get my scrolls and begin the preparations." Eragon the First told him, and walked out of the room, leaving Eragon to stare at the wide pool of magic.

The hall was extremely long, long enough for three Bid'daums to sleep in with comfort. There was a throne far ahead, and behind Eragon, the large gates were barred shut. How could such a place have been taken over was a big mystery to Eragon. The ceiling had paintings, which Eragon couldn't clearly and couldn't make much sense of either.

The pool itself was glowing, and Eragon felt a source of energy within it, strong enough to overpower him if he would let it. It was like a liquor for the magicians, addicting and illusive. The power within that well would destroy anyone who tried to conquer it. But Kuthian had blessed the elves, which allowed them to take the aid of the pool for energy. What Crugan had done with it was something Eragon didn't know, but knowing that the Shade had once been in this very castle made Eragon's skin crawl.

Eragon waited there for a couple more minutes, in which time Saphira contacted him and told him that Sianelle and Jeffron had finished the task he had given them of contacting the leaders at Alagaesia, and Arya, and telling them of the threat that was coming. Eragon didn't know what was going to happen next, but he knew that he had to be there to protect his home.

"It's time, Eragon, I am going to start the magic." Eragon the First had arrived, and had three scrolls in his hand, each having flowing scriptures of some language Eragon recognized. It wasn't the Ancient Language, but another language that the elves used, one that had been derived from the Ancient Language.

"Is it dangerous?" Eragon asked.

"No, just difficult . . . This will take a few moments, and I must have absolute silence during this time . . . and keep your eyes closed because the light will increase and intensify." Eragon the First replied, holding the first scroll in front of him.

Eragon nodded and backed away, while Eragon the First began muttering a spell under his breath. Eragon stopped and watched him. For a few minutes, nothing happened, and Eragon was beginning to wonder what was going on. Eragon the First just kept reading the spell, and at time raised his palm and letting a bolt of white magic flow out, and embed in the pool, or let some of the blue light enter his palm.

Then, when Eragon the First was halfway through the second scroll, the light in the pools grew dimmer. Eragon sensed that it might change and closed his eyes. Nothing happened, so he opened them again. The light in the pool had died down completely, but Eragon the First had closed his own eyes. Eragon raised an eyebrow, but imitated him, keeping his eyes closed.

A wave of bright red light suddenly exploded outwards, there was a blast of air and Eragon felt himself stumble back. His eyelids were closed, but he could almost feel the intensity of the light. Eragon raised his palms to his eyes and kept them covered. The heat in the room increased greatly in a matter of seconds. Within a minute, a droplet of sweat emerged on Eragon's forehead. Eragon the First kept chanting calmly, his voice strong. But what he spoke didn't sound like any words that Eragon knew even with his vast knowledge, it sounded more like random noises.

Eragon didn't bother listening, because the air was suddenly thick and his eardrums hurt. The light grew brighter and brighter, and more air flew forward, billowing Eragon's cloak. The light turned to white as Eragon the First's voice grew louder and louder. There was one last explosion of blue light, and the strongest blast of air with the sound of wind howling, and the light decreased.

Eragon the First had stopped chanting, and was panting. Eragon opened his eyes and stared at the elf, who was on the ground, hands on his knees, and had dropped the scrolls to the ground. Eragon hurried forward and grabbed his hand, slinging over his shoulder, and helped the elf to his feet. Eragon the First nodded at the pool, which was glowing with a much brighter light. Eragon stared at it, and was dumbstruck. Indeed, dumbstruck was an understatement.

The pool was now showing glimpses of different places in Alagaesia. Eragon could have sworn he had seen the city of Beirland, caves which were probably in the Beor Mountains, and a forest of pines trees.

"That's . . . it worked . . ." Was all Eragon managed to say.

"And now, all we need is a place where we can emerge . . . once we have that, we can just go there and joined the forces of Alagaesia, wherever they need us." Eragon the First told him.

Eragon stared at him, and then realized which would be the place where they would have to go first, "We have to go to Doru Araeba . . ."

"Is there a place containing wild magic in Doru Araeba?" Eragon the First asked him, now recovered. He got to his feet and walked towards Eragon.

"No . . . perhaps not . . . Then, there's the Rock of Kuthian itself, we can teleport ourselves near there somewhere . . ." Eragon said.

Eragon the First considered him, then said, "I don't know whether you have heard of this, but there has always been a sight of wild magic at Doru Araeba . . ."

Eragon raised his eyebrows, "What?"

"Yes, but I found this out after I stepped down from the post of lead Rider . . . apparently, the entire island is the result of wild magic, when the dragons were still young." Eragon the First told him.

Eragon gaped at him, "You mean, the island was created by magic?"

"Why else do you think dragons feel so much at home there, even though it is not on the mainland?" Eragon the First asked, then walked past him, towards the pool. "Only one way to find out . . . I'll try to open the way from here to Doru Araeba."

Eragon stare at the pool, then asked, "How does this work?"

"Since this is a pool, you will have to jump into the water, after which you will find yourself at your destination in no time." Eragon the First answered, and closed his eyes again, placing his outstretched palm over the pool.

The surface of the pool shimmered, small waves coursing across it, and suddenly showed Vroengard. Eragon could make out several dragons on their flying practices, the Riders and dragons of the future.

"This is it, that's where we need to go!" Eragon said, pointing at the city.

"Get ready, we are going back to Alagaesia . . ." Eragon the First said. Eragon smiled and stared at the city which was his home.

"Yes . . . we are going back home, Eragon." Eragon told his namesake, who smiled.

But then a door burst open and Jeffron sprinted inside, stumbling to stop in front of Eragon and his namesake. Eragon stared at the elf, then grabbed his hand and held him in front of him. He was sure Jeffron wouldn't do something like this unless it was important.

"What's wrong?" Eragon the First asked him.

"A-An elf . . . in the dungeons . . . he looks alive but how he got here . . . I don't know . . ." Jeffron panted.

"An elf?" Eragon asked, surprised, then glanced at Eragon the First, who looked just as surprised.

"Yes . . . Phriones and Sianelle are with him, you should come." Jeffron said and hurried out of the room. Eragon followed him hurriedly. Eragon the First did the same.

They retraced their steps to the Entrance Hall, and took the door on the opposite side, hurried through a couple of passageways and hurried downstairs. Eragon looked as they emerged in the dungeons, which were quite different than the cells back in Alagaesia. These dungeons had walls blood red in colour, and gave a glow that reminded the inhabitants of the torture they had probably gone through.

Eragon followed Jeffron straight, then stopped as he saw Sianelle and Phriones helping another elf, who was leaning onto them completely, his feet dragging behind him. They placed the elf on the ground, face up, in front of Eragon, who kneeled next to him and pulled his silver hair away.

The elf's face was smeared with blood, and had several gashes and cuts, making it difficult to see his face. But Eragon felt that he knew that elf, so he produced an orb of blue light and looked at him. The elf groaned slightly as the light fell on his eyes, and Eragon gasped, taken aback. Sianelle covered her mouth with her hands, and Jeffron gave a, "What?" of surprise.

The elf was Gilderien the Wise, the Protector of Ellesmera. Eragon stared at him, then hurriedly began healing the elf. The others joined in as well, muttering spells and healing the old elf. Eragon stared at him as fixed the elf's broken fingers. Out of his ten, eight had been broken and only the index fingers of both hands were intact.

One of his legs was broken, which Sianelle fixed. He had a horrible cut on his chest, which Jeffron healed, while Eragon healed his face. Gilderien coughed slightly, and opened his eyes slowly when Eragon transferred some of his energy into the elf's weak consciousness.

The elf looked at Phriones first, then turned to Eragon and blinked slightly, then asked, "Eragon?"

Eragon nodded, and helped the elf up, his hand over Eragon's shoulder. Gilderien stood and looked at the others with surprise, then spotted Eragon the First, when he asked in absolute astonishment, "Eragon?!"

"Yes, Gilderien . . . It is me." Eragon the First said, and smiled slightly, but Gilderien shook his head and raised his hand as Eragon the First tried to come closer.

"Stay away from me!" Gilderien told him, letting go of Eragon and stumbling back. He rubbed his face and looked at them. "Where . . . are we?"

Eragon nodded at him, "We are in Alalea, and what are you doing here? I thought you died defending Ellesmera . . ."

"I was teleported here . . . by the Shade, someone called Zar'rac . . . he threw a box at me." Gilderien rubbed his forehead, his shoulders hunched.

"What?"Sianelle asked, but Eragon held up his hand.

"He teleported you here? Then what happened?" Eragon asked.

"I was face to face with . . . Crugan, and things became rather hostile." Gilderien threw Eragon the First an extremely filthy look, then turned back to Eragon. "I was imprisoned and tortured for information by the Shade himself . . . he took every ounce of revenge for the humiliating defeat he suffered the last time he faced me . . . he has grown stronger than I anticipated."

"It will take all of three of us to defeat him, Gilderien . . . I wish Anurin were here." Eragon the First said.

"Did you get him killed too?" Gilderien asked him spitefully. Eragon gaped at Gilderien, as did Jeffron and Sianelle. The elf had always been rather calm and composed, not at all malicious and infuriated as he was now.

Eragon the First looked insulted, "I have not got anyone-"

"My daughter was killed because of you and your stupid idea to chase after this Shade . . . she died at Illeria, where you had your great moment of glory when you killed a thousand men with nothing but that sword . . . well, I lost my daughter!" Gilderien told him angrily.

"And I lost a sister!" Eragon the First shouted at him.

"Wait . . . What are you two saying?" Eragon asked, coming in between both of them.

"Gilderien the Wise is my father, Eragon . . . and the one who was against the very idea of elves bonding dragons. He wanted to kill them all, make them extinct." Eragon the First told him.

Gilderien glared at him, "I do not know where you learnt to lie in our pure language . . . did the Shade teach you?"

"Enough!" Eragon said.

"Eragon," Gilderien said, pushing Eragon aside and pointing a finger at Eragon the First. "I do not care about you and your matters . . . I need to return to Alagaesia! . . . but, what are you doing here, Kingslayer?" Gilderien asked.

Eragon sighed, "It's a long story . . ."

Murtagh scratched his cheek, wondering what had Eragon got himself into. He was sitting on the edge of his bed. Jeffron had just contacted him and told him that Crugan was heading their way, with a large number of ships. They were most probably going to attack Carvahall, the capital, and not even try to indulge in a fight against Vroengard, which was a pity.

Murtagh didn't exactly know what to do, but he guessed that the best idea would be to evacuate and head for Carvahall. That was the sensible thing to do. If Crugan's forces stopped at Doru Araeba, they would find a deserted city, which would probably by Murtagh and the others some time.

But for taking such a decision, Murtagh needed Eragon's help, which he didn't have. He was at his home, alone for now. Thorn was somewhere else, teaching the younger dragons something. Nasuada was checking on the Varden, the group where all the spell casters, who weren't elf or Riders, went and trained. If it was going to be a fight, then Murtagh knew that magic would matter.

"Murtagh?" A voice said abruptly.

Murtagh jumped slightly and looked around, at the mirror which he had kept aside, o the bed. He smiled when he recognized his brother, Eragon, "How goes it in Alalea?"

"You know very well how it goes . . . but listen, I have grand new!" Eragon said hurriedly. He was walking down a corridor, mirror in hand, and seemed to be in a hurry. "We are all going to arrive at Vroengard in a while."

Murtagh just stared at him, then broke a sly grin, "Sure, and I am going to swim across the ocean as well. I might see you on the way."

"I am serious! Me, Saphira, Eragon the First and the entire army which he has, we are going to arrive at Doru Araeba in a few hours. I need you to make preparations. Keep everyone inside the city, I don't know how we will end up there, and I sure don't want to emerge inside someone . . ." Eragon told him.

"But that's absurd!" Murtagh said, laughing. He was sure Eragon was joking.

"No, Eragon the First found a way of travelling that distance. Another thing, Gilderien the Wise is alive, he was captive here, but he is fine now, he is coming with us . . . and yes, make preparations to leave Vroengard, we are going to go Carvahall. Sianelle had a talk with Nolfavrell, the city was attacked . . . and there's something else." Eragon said.

Murtagh nodded solemnly, "Orothrim is dead, I know. Nolfavrell told me . . . Angrenost is still unconscious, but the battle took place three days ago. It was quite rough . . . and it took place before my Riders could get there . . . that's the bad part. Those invaders got the best of us . . . And how are you going to get here?" Murtagh said.

"You'll see soon, the next time we talk will be properly, without mirrors." Eragon said.

"Sure." Murtagh replied, and the mirror went black for a while, after which it returned to normal. Murtagh sighed slightly, then walked out of his room. It was time for the Riders to move from Vroengard, for the first time in almost a hundred years.

It was nighttime in the forest of Du Weldenvarden, the moon shining bright. The place was a hill, just north of Nadindel, on the northern side. It was a place where elves rarely came, due to its unnatural desolation. The hill was dark, and bare of trees and grass. There was nothing there which would attract an elf or human, or even dwarf. It was a waste of land to most people.

But there was one thing that the hill had that no one had ever noticed. It had a hidden underground castle, the work of a century for the elves. It had eventually been forgotten due to its desolation, but not by all. Crugan had remembered the place, and had returned there once after learning the secrets of the Great Dragoness, planning for the future.

The hill, his secret workspace in Alagaesia, had also been his first sight of experiment, the place where he had created the first of his kin, a fellow shade. It had been an easy job, he had captured an elven hunter, kept him unconscious and offered him to the spirits. He had been accepted, his soul crushed and his body taken over.

The identities of the spirits were melded into one, and Crugan had conquered the conquerors, chaining them to the body. They had been imprisoned, just as Crugan himself had once been by the filthy mortal who tried to extend his own life by calling for the spirits.

That was the place where he had entrapped the remaining few spirits which he had not needed to create the shade. The spirits were still there, providing their magic in the hill. They were still enraged and wished for nothing more than to have revenge on Crugan. But their presence itself provided a huge amount of magical energy, not created by anyone. Crugan had unknowingly created his own sight of wild magic, and now, it served as a point of travel back and forth.

This was the very place where Zar'rac and his army had appeared from. The underground hall was empty now, but the place still held many secrets, with many surprises in store for Alagaesia itself.


	84. Chapter 83

**Chapter 83: Worian's regret**

 _We are at Osilon!_ Valinor announced. Deaother looked down, his hand on Arya's shoulder and Vaelia arms around his waist.

"Is that an army?" Arya asked, looked around the city.

"It is." Vaelia replied, not even looking down, surprising Deaother.

 _How?_ Valinor asked her. Vaelia's hands stiffened around Deaother as she looked down.

"My father . . . he had all the lords and ladies in the council converge their armies at Osilon, which was most probably where Zar'rac would move next . . . the fact that we came here just improves our chances." Vaelia replied.

"I see . . . so we can actually face Zar'rac's army now. We can, and we should, fight back." Deaother said.

"Yes . . . we should." Vaelia replied faintly.

Deaother turned around to look at her, but just smiled, and intertwined his fingers among hers. She leaned on his back and stayed that way for a while. Deaother looked down again, and saw that the city was overflowing with elves in armor, all of different colors.

The dragons flew into the city from the north-east, slowly descending towards the small clearing among the tall pines. Deaother grabbed the sides of the saddle tightly as Valinor landed, the elves hurriedly moving away from the area as Phiole followed him. Vaelia slid her hands away from him, and jumped off the saddle, as did Deaother and Arya.

Everaun and Worian followed them, and without much words spoken, they hurried towards the centre of the city. The elves had several cities, but Osilon was the first one that Deaother had ever seen of its kind. Unlike Ellesmera and other cities, most of the living quarters of elves in Osilon were not present on the top of trees, but instead it was furrowed into the trunks of the trees just some feet above the ground. This had been a safeguard against the overflying Forsworn more than two hundred years ago. Osilon had been comparatively closer to the human kingdom then.

Thus, the residence of the Lord of the city was also at the ground level, which was where Arya was leading them. She had pulled her armor back on, which was stained with blood of the Ra'zac. Deaother had not worn any armor in the battle, and he was surprised he had emerged without a huge injury. Everaun also had pulled his armor on, as had Worian.

The dragons crawled behind them slowly, following the wide path. Deaother walked alongside Vaelia, who clasped his hand as soon as she realized it was him. He held it reassuringly, and turned to look at her. She was already watching him then, with a small smile. But Deaother knew that she was nervous and scared of facing the Council of Lords and Ladies.

"Hey, listen." Deaother muttered to her, and she craned her neck towards him. "I know how you feel . . . but don't worry about anything . . . the elves in the council will most probably be glad that you are alive."

Vaelia stared at him, then gave a sarcastic laugh, "Glad? They'll be absolutely flustered!"

Deaother raised an eyebrow, "I . . . sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."

Vaelia sighed and rubbed her head against his chest, "I know . . . I didn't mean it."

Deaother kissed her forehead, which brought a little relief to her face. At least her tension seemed to ease away, "If you want, I'll come with you."

"I would like that . . . I just hope they won't mind it if you are with me." Vaelia told him.

"What do you think you'll tell them?" Deaother asked her, and she rubbed her eyes distractedly.

"I don't know, honestly . . . I don't want to be the Queen, Deaother, but I promised my father I would take his place . . . I don't have a choice now." Vaelia told him.

Deaother stared at her, concerned. Being a Queen was a huge responsibility, and not one that would allow Vaelia to spare much time for her mate. Deaother hoped that it wouldn't have to come to that, but if it did, he would support her with his life.

"The son of the Lead Rider is with you, wherever you go . . . if it makes you feel better." Deaother told her.

"It does . . ." Vaelia smiled at him, her eyes grateful. "But I . . . no, leave it."

"Tell me." Deaother said, but she shook her head. "No, it's . . . now is not the time, Deaother."

Deaother stared at her, confused, then shrugged. He might have been her mate, but he didn't want to force her to do anything she didn't want to do, even something as small as telling him her thoughts. Deaother had not told her all his thoughts either.

They walked across in silence then, walking down the path. They moved past several elves on the way, who all seemed to be in a hurry, carrying parts of armor, or quivers and weapons, or food. Some stopped and nodded at Arya, who nodded back but kept walking, not stopping for a talk. They soon reached the place where the Council of Elves was being held.

Vaelia walked forward then, leading Deaother with her. They walked alongside Arya, who stopped in front of the door to the room, and turned around, "Vaelia . . . relax, and tell them everything that you think they need to know. Nothing more, nothing less. They might be fellow elves, but after Enaevia, we can't be certain about them." Vaelia nodded, her fingers squeezing Deaother's, who turned to look at her. She did seem a little scared. Arya continued talking to her, "I and Everaun will be inside, with you. They won't do much when we are around in the room, and-"

"Err . . . Arya, can Deaother come with me as well?" Vaelia asked her.

Deaother blinked, he didn't know Vaelia and his mother were already on first name basis.

"All four of us should go in, and Worian as well, they will need to hear his side of the story." Arya said.

They nodded at her, and she led the way inside, which had a large room and stairs that went underground. Arya walked down the stairs, Vaelia right behind her, followed by Deaother and the others. The dragons waited outside, but they were present mentally through their Riders.

They passed another door, into a wide room. The room consisted of several chairs, most of which were vacant. There were elves present in the room, and also in the anteroom on the other side. Deaother looked at them all, as they turned and looked at them as well.

Suddenly, one of the elves shouted, "Its Princess Vaelia!"

Vaelia's face went a little pale, but she nodded at Deaother slowly, and walked forward, letting go of his hand. Deaother watched her as she stood in front of the elves, who were all royally dressed and were taking their seats hurriedly.

 _They probably think Dathedr is also here . . . I wonder how Vaelia will tell them about his death._ Deaother wondered, looking at the Lord of Sithrim. The elf watched him for a while, then turned to Vaelia, who was just staring at them.

Deaother had thought they would begin with the greetings, as was customary, but apparently the elves were also too eager to hear the news of the attack on Ellesmera to indulge in formalities. They were all just watched Vaelia expectantly.

"Lords and Ladies of the Elven council, there is grave news . . ." Vaelia said, and looked at all of them. Her voice was firm, not at all frightened, but even a fool would notice that she was sad. "My father, King Dathedr, has . . . he did the best he could to save Ellesmera, but it wasn't enough . . . the attack was too sudden, too unpredictable."

The elves were silent for a while, but Deaother could feel the intense wave of shock that coursed through the room. Vaelia stared at them, then sniffed, "Me and my companions are the only ones who survived the attack . . . everyone else is dead, each and every one of them. Even the Tialdari Hall could not protect us."

The lady from Kirtan cleared her throat and spoke in a clear voice, "I know it is customary for us to grieve our fallen king . . . but it is also customary for us to unite once more, and to prepare for war after our king dies in battle."

"They are coming for Osilon next, aren't they?" The Lord of Sithrim said, and stood up as well. "We must fortify the city."

"Aye we should . . . but wait, aren't you Arya Shadeslayer?" Another Lord said.

Arya turned to him, "I am."

"You were out at sea, weren't you?" The elf asked her.

"I was, but I decided to return when I saw what had happened at Ellesmera . . . Eragon managed to transport me and my partner, Valinor." Arya told him. "And you should be glad. We Riders are not interfering in your matters, Lord Sylvan, I am the one who saved Vaelia."

Vaelia nodded at them, "Had it not been for her, I would have fallen as well."

"And who are these elves?" The elf, Lord Sylvan, asked them.

"I am Deaother." Deaother said, walking forward. Worian and Everaun introduced themselves as well. Arya nodded at them, then turned back to the Lords and Ladies.

"I was beginning to wonder what madness it was when five more Riders and dragons arrived here, earlier today. Riders have been messing with our Councils far too much in the past forty or so years." A lady said, getting to her feet.

"We are not messing with anyone!" Everaun announced. "And it was a member of your council who betrayed us, not a Rider of the New-"

"Everaun." Arya muttered, and Everaun fell silent. "Well, what my fellow Rider says is true. Lady Enaevia of Nadindel betrayed us to a Shade who leads these armies. He is named Zar'rac and, he is extremely ruthless and the true spawn of a monster . . . but that's exactly what he is. His master is the person whom we should truly be worried about."

And the next half an hour was spent with Arya explaining everything about Crugan and how Zar'rac was his minion who had been sent to invade Alagaesia. Deaother jumped at the end of the story as he remembered Murtagh mentioning much the same, and explained hurriedly how different parts of Alagaesia had also been attacked and invaded. The elves listened silently, with extreme interest. Deaother finished, and was followed Worian, who told them how Nadindel had been attacked, and it had been Lady Enaevia who had allowed it to happen. Vaelia began, explaining how the attack at Ellesmera had taken place. She explained everything, and ended with the Menoa tree attacking Zar'rac's armies.

"If the great Mother considered this as her own fight, then we don't appreciate the threat completely."The Lord of Sithrim said. "At least the forest is with us."

"Yes, it is . . . but we cannot sit idly while our fellows are attacked. We have to help the humans and the dwarves." Arya told them.

"Exactly, you should help them. You are the Riders!" The lady from Kirtan replied.

"I meant we the elves, we are the oldest race here." Arya said, slight irritation crossing her face.

"We cannot take any decision unless we have a leader. But King Dathedr is dead, who shall take his place?" The lord of Sithrim asked.

"I will." Vaelia said, determination in her voice.

There was silence in the room as all eyes turned towards her. But she walked forward and faced the room, "I request everyone who is not a member of this Council to please leave, there are some important things that I wish to discuss with the Lords and Ladies."

Deaother stared at her in surprise, as did Arya and the others. The members of the council seemed a bit taken aback, but they recovered their composure.

"Vaelia?" Deaother asked, and she turned to him. Deaother couldn't help but admire her courage, and commitment to her father, and her people. She didn't want to be any queen, but she also knew that it was the best and quickest way to keep order and to prepare the elves for what was coming.

"You too, Deaother . . . this is a matter of the council now." Vaelia told him, although her voice was softer.

Deaother was dumbstruck, but he just nodded, while Arya took a step towards Vaelia, "I hope you know what you're doing." Then, without a word she turned around and left the room. Everaun nodded at the Lord of Sithrim and followed Arya. Worian pushed past Deaother in his way out, but Deaother didn't move.

"Eragonsson, we shall inform you and your mother of our decision." A lord, who had been silent so far, said.

But Deaother just stared at Vaelia, who nodded at the door, her expression clearly saying: "Trust me." And that was exactly what Deaother was going to do. He had mated Vaelia, and he trusted her. He would just have to show it to her now. And there was another thing that he had to do, while Vaelia was not with him. He had to talk to Worian and find out what his problem was. He had not talked to anyone ever since Deaother and Vaelia had announced that they were mates.

Deaother left, giving Vaelia an encouraging smile, and hurried up the stair with the door closed behind him. _I just hope I won't regret this later . . . I just hope I won't be neglected by her._ Deaother thought, hurrying outside the tree.

Arya was outside, her face furious. Valinor was lying next to her. He nudged her with his snout, which she rubbed distractedly, and turned to Deaother, "What does she think she is doing? Why is she running for being the Queen if she thinks she isn't ready?"

Deaother hurried towards her, "Because she promised Dathedr she would . . . What's wrong?"

"This was a big mistake, Deaother, that's what is wrong." Arya said. "She won't make a good queen, I just know it. She has been forced into this, she didn't choose this."

Deaother stared at her mother, surprised at her sudden anger at Vaelia. Naturally, he did the thing that made more furious. He supported Vaelia. "How can you be so sure of that? You haven't seen her as a Queen yet, neither of us has."

Arya's eyes went wide, as they always did when Deaother argued. She stopped rubbing Valinor's snout and raised herself as tall as she could, which was still a half foot less than Deaother. Deaother couldn't help but grin slightly, which Arya didn't notice.

"She doesn't have what it takes, Deaother! The members of that Council are ruthless if they sense that the leader is vulnerable and can be tricked easily. She won't last long." Arya replied.

"She stood up all alone against that shade and his army of Ra'zac, she is tough and very smart and knows how to get out of tough situations!" Deaother retaliated, making Arya step towards him.

This was just like old time between him and his mother. They had been arguing from the very beginning, and about anything and everything. And so, Deaother was used to this. Not that it made things any easier. "I saw how smart she was, playing right into the hands of our enemies. Had I and Valinor, along with Everaun and Phiole, not been there, what would've happened of her?"

Deaother stopped for a moment, then sighed, "I don't know, but I can tell you that when you saved her, you saved me as well . . . If she would've been killed by that shade, I wouldn't have stopped till I had killed every last Ra'zac and that Shade."

Arya looked at him in astonishment, then came closer and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Deaother . . . are you sure you want to be with her now? She is going to be the Queen, and . . . I don't mean to be harsh, but she won't have time for you. She will have lots and lots of other responsibilities."

Deaother stood silent, then took a step away from her, "Mother, I know you mean well, but Vaelia needs me right now, she can't do this on her own and . . . she doesn't have anyone other than me."

Arya turned away, then, "Your choice son, but be wary, lest it be your destruction."

Deaother didn't reply, but walked away from her. He had spotted Worian a little away, strolling alone, probably lost in his thoughts of how stupid he had been to trust Deaother. Deaother didn't see anything wrong with what he had done, but Worian must have felt quite stupid after he had left Vaelia.

Deaother hurried after him, trotting, and caught up with him just as Worian turned around. He nodded, but Deaother got in front of him, blocking his way, "Worian, what is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?"

Worian stared at him, "You, of all people, should know that."

"Is it because I and Vaelia are mates?" Deaother asked him. It was the right reason, but the wrong question, and it really struck Worian's nerve.

"Yes! It wouldn't have taken a Rider of the Old Order to figure this out." Worian said angrily, making Deaother look at him, confused.

"What?" Deaother asked, but Worian just waved his hand and began walking away. "Stop being a fool and tell me what your problem is. Are you a little boy, or what?"

Worian turned around then, "You want to know my problem, Son of Lead Rider from Vroengard, the great strong elf who defeated the king at swordplay, killed a Lethrblaka on his own, survived a fall even a dragon could not, you want to know my problem, do you? Oh, I am honored."

"Apparently you are, since you were able to say all that." Deaother muttered, but Worian didn't hear him. He was fuming and striding towards Deaother.

"My problem, Deaother…" Worian stopped then, coming up to Deaother and staring him right in his eyes, "… is you. You are my problem, and have been my problem ever since you came to Ellesmera. Ever since you arrived, you were all Vaelia could talk of!" Worian shouted at him, making Deaother wince.

"That-" Deaother began, but Worian pushed him back.

"My problem is watching you two talking to each other, hugging each other." Worian pushed Deaother harder, making him step back.

"Worian, I am warning you." Deaother said in a low voice, his temper rising. He couldn't stand the sight of the elf anymore.

"It disgusts me when you two spend so much time together, forgetting all that I told you . . . It disgusts me when you taste-" And that was all Worian managed to say before Deaother punched him .

Worian flew back and fell several feet away, hitting the ground hard as he did. Deaother stood where he had been, glowering. Worian got up hurriedly, giving Deaother a murderous look. A few elves watched them both, but Deaother didn't care. Apparently, neither did Worian.

"How could you do this? Deaother, I loved her! I loved her so much I decided to leave her so that she would be happy! And you took her for yourself." Worian yelled for the entire forest to hear.

"I loved her too, Worian, and she chose me over you . . . It was your fault, you did not treat her well! You did not understand what her father meant to her, you adamantly asked her to leave his body behind." Deaother shouted back.

Worian stared at him, his eyes red with anger, then he drew his sword and pointed it at Deaother, "Fine then, let us settle this!"

Deaother stared at his sword, grasping the hilt of his own, "Like you have a chance of winning." Worian yelled then and charged at Deaother, who just sidestepped his blow, the sword whistling harmlessly through the air where Deaother had been, "Ha! I don't even need my sword to defeat you!"

"Oh, you'll see!" Worian shouted and charged again, but Deaother raised his left hand.

There was a loud blast, and Worian flew back, hitting the trunk of a tree. Deaother stared at him as he fell to the ground, his sword lying next to him. But he stood up again, spitting out blood, "Magic! You cheat."

Deaother just grinned, but Worian raised his palm as well, "Kveykva!"

"Istlari!" Deaother yelled, golden flames shooting out from his palm and colliding with the teal colored lightning. The result was another explosion, singing the grass on the ground. Worian picked up his sword and charged through the smoke, but Deaother already had his sword out and was waiting for him.

"Deaother, you did the wrong thing by mating her!" Worian shouted and jabbed at him, but Deaother deflected the blow easily.

"I expressed my feelings for her, something you were too much of a coward to do!" Deaother replied, parrying another blow.

Deaother knew that he should have gone easy on Worian, knowing how the elf had felt for Vaelia, and probably still did. But now, he had reached his breaking point. Vaelia was going to be the Queen on the Elves, which meant that she would not be able to devote even half of the time that Deaother felt he deserved. Arya disapproved of his relationship with Vaelia, and his father was out at sea without any contact. And now, just as Deaother thought he could have used a friend, Worian had turned on him in the worst possible way, claiming the Deaother had betrayed him. Keeping these things in mind, Deaother found it next to impossible to hold back his frustration. He just didn't care anymore.

"Coward? You-" Worian began, but Deaother slashed at him, causing him to jump back, narrowly dodging the attack. Deaother pressed the attack, swinging at him again. Worian parried the blow, but stumbled back. Deaother jumped and brought the sword down with both his hands, a blow which would have killed Worian had he not tried to block it. Their swords clashed, and Worian's sword was cleaved apart with the blow.

In the next second, Deaother kicked him in the shin and knocked the broken sword out of his hand, which flew in the air and landed, blade first, on the ground where it stood upright. Worian stumbled back, shocked. Deaother pointed his sword at Worian then, not even a little tired, "You lose, coward."

Worian's face was red, many elves had been watching them. A circle of elves had formed around them, among whom were Arya and Everaun. Deaother noticed them, and a little sense seemed to return to his thoughts. But it was too late now, he had already defeated Worian.

But Worian wasn't ready to accept defeat. Deaother watched him as the elf began to walk around slowly, then raised his palm. But Deaother was faster, Worian was blasted away in another moment. He landed on the ground again, harder this time. He yelled in pain and got up again, his palm raised, "Stenr Risa!"

"A beginner's trick?" Deaother asked, but he heard a small grumbling behind. He turned around to see a large boulder, which been embedded halfway down in the ground, rise and fly towards Deaother.

"Jierda!" Deaother shouted, and felt a large amount of energy leave him as rock split apart into dust, scattering to the ground. He turned around immediately, but a fist collided with his face, making him stumble back. His sword fell to the ground, and there was a stir among the crowd of elves.

Deaother looked up to see Worian in front of him, now holding Deaother's sword, "Who is the coward now? . . . You were wrong when you accepted Vaelia . . . She was mine!"

Deaother stared at him, his temper way past control, "You filthy backstabber! For all we know, you might have led those Ra'zac to Ellesmera, and asked the Shade to give you Vaelia in return."

Worian's eyes widened, "I am not a traitor!"

"Are you not? Then how did the Ra'zac and the Lethrblaka arrive at Ellesmera the very day you did?" Deaother asked him.

Worian stared at him, then look down. When he looked up, his faced was that of wrath, "I have had enough of you!" And he lunged forward, swinging Deaother's sword. But Deaother grabbed his wrist at the right moment, and punched him in the chest, twisted his hand so that he dropped his sword and kicked Worian on his forehead, with his knee, as he doubled over. Worian flew back, his nose bleeding.

"Now, you know what will happen if you ever come between me and my mate . . . I will destroy anyone and anything who tries to harm her, you hear?" Deaother bellowed at him. Worian hurriedly backed away and Deaother picked up his sword. "I will destroy anyone who comes between us!"

Worian got up and raised his palm, "Brisingr Nángoröth!"

Teal colored flames blasted out of his hand, and there was an explosion as they collided with Deaother, throwing him to the air. The sword flew out of his hand again, and his shirt was on fire. He fell to the ground, and there was a yell, "Deaother!"

Deaother couldn't speak, he was stunned. He could smell the fire burning apart his shirt, the hot searing flames on his body. He shook his head, and got up hurriedly, his sleeves and shirt still on fire, but that didn't seem to affect him, he just scrubbed them away. Although most of his shirt was now reduced to ashes, his body itself wasn't burnt. He looked up at Worian, who was astounded.

"As I said . . ." Deaother said, and prepared to retaliate, but Arya and Everaun came to his side. Everaun grabbed his palm and pulled it down, while Arya hurriedly placed her palm on his forehead and said, "Slytha."

And that was all Deaother remembered.


	85. Chapter 84

**Chapter 84: Startling News**

Deaother groaned as his eyes opened, looking around. He was in a room, the walls were all brown, the colour of wood, and were circular. He was in a tree. The roof was flat, but that was just the level which he was in.

"How do you feel?" A voice said, and Deaother looked around to see Everaun there. He looked extremely serious about something, and was eyeing Deaother with a mixture of awe and surprise.

"Quite good . . . what happened?" Deaother asked, and noticed that his chest was bare, and his trousers were torn.

"Something really . . . disturbing." Everaun told him. "Ebrithil Arya and her friend will be here soon, just lie still till then."

"I remember fighting Worian, then . . . oh yes, fire . . . there was fire on my shirt!" Deaother hurriedly scrabbled upright and looked at his chest. There were no burns on it. "Who healed me?"

"Nobody healed you . . . nothing happened to you when the fire struck." Everaun muttered.

"What?" Deaother asked, surprised.

"Yes, you just got up and removed the shirt, and made to attack Worian again, but . . . your mother and I stopped you." Everaun replied.

"Why did you do that? I wanted to end what Worian had started." Deaother said, annoyed.

"There was no point in fighting him, Deaother, you knew that he was going to lose. You should have kept your calm." Everaun said.

"He claimed that I betrayed him, by mating Vaelia, now I couldn't let him-" Deaother stopped talking as he heard a very familiar voice coming from outside the room.

"Between you and Eragon, in a war I seem to be spending most of the time healing your family!" A woman's voice said. Deaother immediately recognised her, it was Nesmrial (Angela), and he was surprised that she was there.

"But I am surprised at this, who would have expected Deaother . . .?"Arya was saying.

"It is rare, but it can happen to any elf . . . look at Eragon, he can control fire through his sword. That's what must have triggered this in your son . . . and then, was there anyone in your family who could do the same?" Nesmrial(Angela) asked.

"Yes, someone on my father's side could." Arya replied.

"There you go, it has been in his blood all this time." Nesmrial(Angela) said. The door opened, and a short woman in curly hair emerged, a grin on her face. Arya was right behind her, followed by two werecats. Deaother stared at them, and smiled, "Hello Nesmrial."

"Oh, call me Angela, I am tired of being called Nesmrial all the time . . . Angela was so much better, many people still call me that." Nesmrial (Angela) said.

"Fine then, Angela . . . what's going on?" Deaother asked her.

"You have a unique ability, that's what. And the best part is you don't really need training for this as it is in your blood and bone." Angela said, and came to his side. Arya placed her hand on Deaother's forehead, smiling.

"You are really powerful Deaother, I can't believe I haven't noticed this before . . ." Arya said.

"Will someone tell me what it is?" Deaother asked her.

"Right . . . you are immune to attacks by elements . . . and there is more to-." Angela began to say, but Deaother cut her off.

"Wait! You mean when the fire struck me, it didn't harm me because I was . . . immune to it? That's absurd!" Deaother exclaimed and swung his legs off the bed. "I thought it was because of the wards."

"You didn't have any wards around you, son." Arya said.

"Exactly, otherwise your shirt wouldn't have been burnt." Everaun added.

"But how is this possible? I have never even heard of it." Deaother said.

"Oh trust me, I have seen it with my own eyes . . . My old friend, Tenga, had the same abilities. He could control the elements at his own will, and it didn't exhaust him at all. That was why he was able to hold off Galbatorix on his own, even though he was so old." Angela told him.

"You mean . . . I can control fire, water and all that, without getting tired?" Deaother asked.

"And you are immune to them." Everaun said.

"Yes . . . try, there is water in that vase. Summon it to you . . ." Angela said, pointing at it.  
Deaother stared at the vase, then back at her, then again at the vase. Now that he came to think of it, he had no idea how to use the ability that the others claimed he had.

He said, "How do I . . . ?"

"Just think to it, say it in your mind." Arya said.

"Right . . ." Deaother muttered and thought. Water, come here. Deaother jumped as the water flowed out of the vase into air, and came to him, forming a sphere of water. Deaother had not felt any of the energy in his body leave him.

Deaother smiled. Air, make her hair stand. There was a draft of air from the ground towards the roof, only around Angela, making her hair rise awkwardly, clinging to each other. Nobody laughed, everyone was too surprised.

"This is . . . great!" Deaother said, and thought of fire evaporating the water. There was steam and fire burst to life just below the sphere of water, evaporating it. Deaother grinned, and got to his feet, "I can control all the elements like this?"

"Not all . . . but the ones in nature. Other than fire, water, and air, you can also control stone and earth, the five elements. There is also a sixth, but that is a faraway story . . . And lightning too, as it's caused by clouds." Angela told him.

"What's the sixth element?" Deaother asked her, excited.

"I don't know, but Tenga once hinted there was a sixth one . . . You might want to go to his old home and go through his scrolls." Angela said.

"Oh I will . . . wait a minute, if I can control elements, does it mean I can fly with the help of air?" Deaother asked her.

"I don't know all those things Deaother, because Tenga never experimented with his powers. He said that they were not for leisure . . . you sure are more of a fun type, you can do all you want. But know this, even these powers have a limit. Tenga was ultimately killed by Galbatorix, even though he probably had pulled off the most powerful spell he could . . . you are stronger and younger than him, but you must use energy, magic, your strength and your brains along with this power." Angela told him, pocking a finger at his forehead. "Only then will you become as invincible as possible . . . but yes, any lucky shot landed by anyone, which goes through your body, will still kill you, so you are not invulnerable."

Deaother stared at her, then smiled, "But this means that I can save energy for the more difficult spells, like healing, and not waste it on this."

Angela shook her, "Whenever you used elements, energy hardly left your body . . ."

Deaother stared at her, then tried to remember the moments in his life when he had used the elements. He remembered his childhood, the swords of water, how Eragon had tried to fend them off. Arya seemed to have recalled the same, because she said, "Creating five swords from a barrel of water requires quite a lot of energy, you should have passed out . . . but you weren't even tired."

Deaother stared at her, and nodded, but suddenly one of the werecats jumped up, the larger one, and landed next to Deaother, on the bed. Deaother recognised him as Laun, who was staring at him with interest. _Who would have thought that this elf, of all, would have this great gift . . . I can sense great things in store for you, Deaother, but they all take place years later . . ._

Solembum appeared on Deaother's other side. _You shall have a great role to play soon, Son of Eragon and Arya. Be on your guard . . ._

"How come you are here? I thought you were in Tierm." Deaother asked Angela.

"Oh I was . . ." Angela said, but didn't bother to finish. Solembum stretched and yawned.

Deaother stared back and forth between them, then said, "Thank you . . . But I really need to do something right now." He got up and noticed that his feet were bare.

"What happened to me?" He asked, looking at Arya and Angela.

"We . . . did some experiments . . ." Angela told him.

"And?" Deaother asked.

"And that's how we came to the conclusion that you are immune to attacks from those elements." Arya told him, and smiled at him.

"Is this common? Is it normal?" Deaother asked Angela.

"Not all common, and not at all normal . . . but it is a great gift. It was something that all Grey Folk could do. Tenga never said the words of magic, he used to just point at the fireplace and there would be a fire crackling there. Or he, would look at the glass and it would fill with water." Angela said.

"I . . . don't know, this is a little too much to grasp." Deaother said, but Angela stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"But this condition is usually triggered when your mind goes under a lot of, say, pressure or stress. Your body gives you the best it has, and in your case, it is a lot better than what people usually get, but it can also come from some other factor. Every elf has this ability hidden in them, but not all of them can trigger these abilities" Angela said. "You'll get used to it . . . but right now, you need some air . . . go ahead, go outside."

"I need clothes . . ." Deaother said, looking down at his pants. One of its legs was torn from the knee.

"Go to the other room, there are clothes there." Arya said.

"And . . . where is Vaelia?" Deaother asked them. Arya stared at him, then averted her eyes hurriedly, as did Angela. Everaun didn't look very comfortable either, but he told him anyway.

"She is at the same place where we left her." He said.

"Where the council meeting was held?" Deaother asked, and Everaun nodded. "Right!" Deaother said, and hurried outside the room. He needed time to think, and he had to talk to Vaelia.

In a couple of minutes he had dressed and had moved out of the tree house, and was walking past the elves hurriedly. He noticed that most of them stared at him impassively, then looked away as soon as he noticed. Apparently, his fight with Worian still had left them amazed.

The place where the meeting of the Council had taken place was just a little away, and the door to it was open. Deaother walked inside, and hurried down the stairs. He was surprised to see that even this door was open, and by the look of it, someone had come in great anger or haste. He could hear two people talking, discussing something. He jumped as he recognised one of the voices as that of Vaelia's.

She was saying, " . . . I know what you speak of, Worian, but there is nothing I can do about it now . . . whatever I felt for you is a matter of the past."

"How can you say this? We used to be so close once." Worian said.

Deaother felt anger grow in him, his fingers coiling into fists. Worian seemed to be trying to convince something. Deaother had been hoping for a chance to but, he realized, that he didn't have a sword with him. _He won't try anything with Vaelia around, though . . ._ Deaother thought, and entered the room.

Vaelia was inside, her arms crossed and Worian was standing in front of her, he was still talking, " . . . don't you remember how you, me, and our little group used to climb trees together, sing together?"

Vaelia had changed her clothes, her hair was free and combed straight. To Deaother's eyes, she looked extremely beautiful.

"I do remember, but things have changed a great deal now . . . My priorities have changed, Worian, my life has changed. You can't expect me to think about you that way just because we are old friends . . ." Vaelia told him, but then she turned around as Deaother cleared his throat loudly.

Worian turned around as well, and took a step back as he saw Deaother, "Stay away, freak!"

Deaother ignored him, "Vaelia, what happened at the meeting?"

Vaelia stared at him, then at Worian, and shook her head, "First you tell me what is going on, why did you attack Worian?"

Deaother stared at her, then at Worian, "I will tell you everything, but I want him out of here." Deaother said, pointing at Worian.

"Like I am going to leave." Worian said.

"I know you have been telling her something different all this time, but you were the one who provoked the fight, Worian." Deaother told him. "He thinks I betrayed him." Deaother said, talking to Vaelia.

"He really does . . . and that I will be much happier with him, because according to him you are some sort of a lunatic who enjoys pain." Vaelia stared hard at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Deaother shook his head, "No, that's not true . . . He just thinks that way because he tried to kill me by setting me on fire, but apparently it didn't work. The fire was too weak to burn me . . . well, perhaps he wasn't strong enough to cast a spell like that."

"You dare!" Worian said, stepping forward and drawing a knife. Deaother eyed him warily as he said, "You have no weapon, you can't hope to win now, so don't tempt me."

"Oh, I don't need a weapon to defeat you . . ." Deaother said, and was about to use his new found abilities, but then he thought better of it. It would be better to let Vaelia know of them first.

"Back off, both of you . . ." Vaelia said, stepping towards Deaother. She stood by his side and looked at his face. He just smiled. "Worian, I would like to be with my mate, would you . . . go outside?" Vaelia asked him.

Worian stared at them both, then jammed his knife back into his scabbard and strode out of the room, fuming, banging the door shut behind him. As soon as he had gone, Deaother hugged Vaelia, kissing her forehead.

Vaelia tapped his cheek, but pulled away slowly, "What was he talking about?"

Deaother looked at her, unsure as to how he should say what he wanted to say, "Vaelia, there is something about me . . . something unusual, some sort of a gift I got from my ancestors . . ."

Vaelia stared at him, eyebrows raised, "I don't understand."

"I . . . can control the elements of nature, and I am immune to attacks from them . . ." Deaother said. "That is why, when he tried to burn me, my shirt caught fire but nothing happened to me. I don't even have a single burn, even though I was on fire." Deaother unbuttoned his shirt and showed her his chest.

Vaelia stared at it, then placed her hands against it, feeling the strong muscles, "I . . . still don't understand." She seemed to be surprised and extremely confused.

"Use some magic on me, regarding fire or water, or lightning . . ." Deaother said. Vaelia looked at him with wide eyes. "Try." Deaother urged.

"Err . . . Kveykva!" Vaelia exclaimed, and lightning struck his palm from hers. Nothing happened, the lightning just vanished down his palm. Vaelia gasped and stepped back in astonishment. Deaother just laughed, then created a small flame on his palm, then tossed it into the air and caught it in his other arm.

Vaelia gaped at him, at a loss for words. Deaother knew she couldn't believe her eyes, and he just grinned and turned the fire to stone, which then turned to a small heap of earth, and finally it disappeared completely.

"H-How?" Vaelia asked, but Deaother just waved over their heads, calling the air and the water present it in. Vaelia looked up in surprise as a small drizzle of rain took place in the room, then looked at Deaother, amazed, "My mate can . . . control elements? This is great!"

"Isn't it? . . . It is extremely rare . . . But I don't know, I have never noticed this before." Deaother said.

"Still, you are special now . . . Oh, I can't believe you chose me to be your mate!" Vaelia told him, smiling. But then, she flailed slightly. But Deaother didn't notice, and reached forward to kiss her, but she stopped him, her arms on his bare chest, "Wait . . . there is something I have to tell you as well."

Deaother stared at her, then grabbed her arms in his own, "Tell me."

Vaelia looked up, droplets of rain were still falling down upon them, "The meeting at the council has agreed with me . . . I will be the Queen of the elves . . . and I shall lead them in the battle against the Shade."

Deaother stared at her, and he felt his insides churn slightly. He had expected it to happen, he knew that Vaelia would become the Queen, but it still made him a little sad and uncomfortable, "That's . . . That's . . . I am happy for you!"

Vaelia stared at him, "But it's just temporary . . . After this war is over, I shall step down and let someone else take my place."

"That's great!" Deaother said, now pleased. "So all I have to do is kill that Shade, then you will be relieved, yes?"

"Yes . . . but please, let me do that honor . . . he killed my father." Vaelia said.

Deaother placed his hand on her cheek, "Sure . . ."

"But, as long as I am the Queen, I don't know how much time we can spend together . . . I have to meet the council everyday, begin preparations for an attack to retake Ellesmera, then there's the matter of the successor . . . so, I am not sure what to do . . ." Vaelia trailed off, then sighed and looked down. She sniffed and looked up again.

Deaother stared at her, then nodded, "What is it?"

Vaelia smiled at him uncertainly, "We . . . I . . ." She hesitated, then shook her head and embraced him tightly. "I am afraid, Deaother, this is a great task for me . . . and I need you to be with me, I want your support, but . . ."

"But what?" Deaother asked, suddenly tensed and a little fear, of separation, entering him. She pulled away from him, and stared hard at him for a moment. He knew that she could sense the way he felt about this, how much he hated then fact that they wouldn't be able to spend more time together.

"Are you alright with this?" She asked him, placing her hand around his neck again.

"I . . ." Deaother stammered. He wanted to say he was fine, but the Ancient Language stopped him. He tried to continue speaking but Vaelia got the message. "I . . ." He stammered again.

"Deaother . . . I love you, you know that, don't you?" Vaelia asked him.

Deaother was silent for a while, he was confused. Vaelia seemed to know exactly what was wrong with him. "I know, but how did you find out I . . . you know, didn't like it when you became the Queen?" Deaother asked her.

"Because you are my mate, and you wouldn't want your mate to be the Queen . . . No one would . . ." Vaelia told him, then wrapped her other hand around his neck. Deaother kept his hands down, he didn't touch her. He wanted to finish the discussion first. He wanted to be sure that he wouldn't lose Vaelia to this new position.

"Will we be able to spend time together? . . . Because we have been mates for just a few days . . ." Deaother said.

Vaelia stared at him, then sighed and let go of him, turning around, "You're right, its just been few days and . . . I am not sure how much time we will have to be together. I am going to be very busy and you . . . I don't know, practicing your new powers?"

Deaother smiled at the joke, but walked forward and stood in front of her, "So, now what? . . ."

Vaelia stared at him, "I don't know . . . Is there anything we can do?"

"Yes, you can spend some time of your day with me, tell me how much you love me, and give me a chance to express my love as well." Deaother joked.

"I really want to, and I do love you . . . but I don't want the Council to drag you into our politics." Vaelia told him.

Deaother stared at the woman he loved, the person who needed him the most, the person whom he wanted more than anyone else in his life. Deep down he knew that he couldn't sadden her, and that her way was the only way to keep everyone pleased. Deaother didn't have much of a say in the matter, but he didn't exactly care about it either.

"I . . . Vaelia . . . Anything, anything to keep you happy. But we spend time together as much as possible, yes?" Deaother asked her.

Vaelia smiled as she reached forward and hugged him, then kissed him on the cheek, "Of course . . ."

But there was one thing that Vaelia did not realize, and it was something large and dark heading their way. It was an army of Ra'zac, with a hooded Shade at the lead. The city of Osilon was right ahead of them, and the Shade felt triumphant. He was going to defeat the elves once and for all, and it was something no one could foresee. His army had been replenished by reinforcements from Alalea just some days ago. He wasn't going to back down now.

"Here I come . . . princess." He hissed.


	86. Chapter 85

**Chapter 85: Impeding rivalry**

Deaother stood next to Arya, who was talking to the Riders who had arrived there from Vroengard. She was telling them about Lethrblaka and the way in which they could be killed. Everaun and Phiole were there too, along with the Rider of Osilon, whose name Deaother did not know.

He just knew one of the newly arrived Riders, whom Murtagh had trained and had asked to duel Deaother. Deaother remembered her because she was first person whom he had actually lost to, and had realized that brains mattered in a fight just as much as brawn.

Nineal was her name, and she was an elf. Faster than any other student, and smarter than most, she was a real pain in the head for Deaother, not as a good thing. Deaother had had a rivalry with Nineal ever since then, because she had challenged him to a duel again, at an annual competition held in Vroengard, and had once more defeated him in front of everyone. His father, Murtagh and many of his friends had laughed and teased him for a month because of the way he had lost. It had been pathetic, and Deaother sorely wished to forget it.

Deaother stared at her, then turned away as soon as she noticed. He didn't feel like talking to her, even though it had been some years since they had met. Nineal had left Vroengard for Uru'baen and had studied the ruins for years. After that, Deaother didn't know what had happened, where she had been, but he hated her too much to care.

" . . . shrieks are just sounds, don't worry about them. Just go ahead and kill them while their beaks are open. Everaun and Phiole here have fought many, they will be able to give you a better explanation." Arya said.

Deaother smiled at Everaun, who smiled back as he turned to face the five Riders. As Deaother turned, Nineal caught his eyes, and he was sure she was smiling at him. Deaother gaped for a moment, then turned away. What was going on? Deaother just shook his head and looked around, while Everaun talked.

Arya came to his side, and ruffled his hair lovingly. Deaother smiled at his mother, who dusted his shirt and said, "How is Vaelia? What did she say to you?"

Deaother sighed, "She is going to be the Queen only for some time, after which she will . . . back down."

Arya shook her head, "I am talking about you and her, you are mates."

"Ah yes . . . she loves me and she will find as much time as possible from her schedule to spend with me." Deaother told her. Arya stared at him, then scratched her palm.

"Don't take this the wrong way Deaother. I think Vaelia is very nice and I know that the two of you love each other a lot . . . but I will be surprised if she finds more than five minutes to spend with you . . . We are at war, and well . . . she is the leader. Do you realize how important she is? She is the only one who can unite the elves against Crugan's forces . . . the only one who can make decisions." Arya told him, then turned around as Everaun mentioned Deaother's name.

" . . . we would not have been here if Deaother had not done what he did! He killed a Lethrblaka in midair. He fell off Phiole, and in the air he killed a Lethrblaka which was coming right for us, while we were preoccupied with the other two." Phiole said, and gestured at Deaother.

The Riders cheered and clapped, while Nineal just looked surprised. Deaother smiled and waved back. _That must have got under her skin for sure . . ._ Deaother thought.

"Just listen to me, sweetie." Arya said, tapping Deaother's cheek. "Don't you hate her if she takes a decision you don't like, you hear me?"

Deaother stared at her, "What?"

"If she takes a decision that goes against what you believe should be done, don't hate her for it because . . . well, her hands are tied by the Council now. They gave her their troops, so now they have a large say in the matter of how things are going to be done." Arya told him.

Deaother stared at her, he didn't know what to say, "Mother, I am pretty sure she won't do any such thing."

"You never know, Deaother, but she can't place your happiness ahead of the wish of a majority in the Council, even if she wants to. Otherwise, she will lose all her support." Arya told him, then hurried towards Valinor. "Just something for you to remember . . ."

"Thank you." Deaother said sarcastically, nodding at her.

Arya didn't reply, but got into the saddle, and Valinor took to the air. The remaining dragons followed her, and Deaother could see seven dragons and six Riders in the sky, all flying in the sunset. Deaother smiled, then stopped, realizing that something didn't add up.

Seven dragons, and six Riders? Deaother thought, then looked around to see Nineal walking towards him. Her dragon, a dark blue scaled male named Andre, was flying ahead of the other young dragons, following Valinor.

Nineal began the elven greeting, which surprised Deaother. She respected him or she was joking. But it didn't matter, he replied dutifully. She skipped the third line anyway and asked, "How are things, Deaother? I heard you scored a Lethrblaka."

Deaother smiled ruefully, her tone was extremely annoying, "Yes, I did . . . and I have done some more things . . . I scored a dozen Ra'zac as well."

"I see." Nineal said, rubbing her arm, standing in front of him. "And is it true that you defeated the king at a duel?"

"I did . . ." Deaother grinned. She looked impressed.

"That's good, you seem like someone who would be extremely fun to spar." Nineal told him, and Deaother backed away. He didn't need this. But Nineal didn't have a sword with her, which made Deaother raise an eyebrow. "But, I just want to talk to you."

"Really? About what?" Deaother asked her.

"About Vaelia . . ." Nineal smiled.

Deaother got a confused look, "I . . . don't understand."

"She is right behind you." Nineal told him, and pointed.

Deaother turned around hurriedly, and stumbled back as someone hugged him tightly. Deaother gasped, but realized who it was and kissed her on the cheek. It was Vaelia.

"There you are . . ." Vaelia told him. "I missed you so much today. But I have good news. We have enough strength to face that Shade and his forces, and more elves are coming from the other cities. We will be able to defeat them."

"Am I missing something here?'" Nineal asked. Deaother smiled at her.

"We are mates, Nineal." Deaother told her, and he felt extremely happy as he said it. Nineal gaped at them, her eyes becoming wide and her mouth falling open slightly. Deaother raised his eyebrow.

"I . . .When did you mate?" She asked them, while Vaelia stood arm in arm with Deaother.

"Just some days ago." Vaelia told her.

"Congratulations then." Nineal smiled and tapped Deaother on the shoulder. "Killed a Lethrblaka, defeated a king at sparring, mated a queen . . . you really have it going on, don't you?" She said, and laughed slightly.

"I suppose you can say that, I never really thought about it that way though." Deaother replied.

"Remember the old rivalry we used to have?" Nineal asked, beaming at him.

Deaother nodded, "I do . . . I think I will remember being kicked in the groin and losing my sword at the same time, in front of everyone in Doru Araeba." Deaother said, annoyed.

Noneal's face went red as she seemed to remember the same. Deaother didn't know whether it was because she was controlling her laughter, or because she was just embarrassed of the way she had cheated. "Well, I think it was rather silly, for the most part, don't you? I mean, yes, I defeated you at sparring a couple of times, but you are younger than me, I had more experience and all." Nineal said.

"Wait a moment, Nineal . . . experience? You are just some months older, that doesn't make any difference when it comes to experience, we have been using the blades for the same number of years." Deaother told her, annoyed.

"Well then, I was just better than you." Nineal told him, and turned away walking briskly towards the direction of the dragons. Deaother grit his teeth, that was exactly what Nineal had wanted him to say, and that was exactly what he had done, played right into her trap.

"She might have been better than you then, but she won't be better anymore . . ." Vaelia told him.

"I guess . . . There's only one way to find out, and I don't want to do that right now. So, what do you want to do?" Deaother asked her.

"Anything that doesn't involve politics . . . it's getting on my nerves . . ." Vaelia told him.

"You want to talk about it?" Deaother said, leading the way down the path.

"Yes, I really need to tell you some things." Vaelia told him.

Arya smiled as she saw Deaother and Vaelia down below, walking arm in arm. _They really do love each other a lot, don't they?_

 _They do, loved one . . . I have never seen Deaother so happy, yet so sad at the same time._ Valinor told her. _I feel sorry for the little one._

 _So do I . . . Eragon would have been very annoyed had I been in the place Vaelia is, and he where Deaother is._ Arya said, smiling.

 _He would have had Saphira to comfort him, wouldn't he?_ Valinor asked her.

 _Yes, and Deaother has his mother and her partner to comfort him._ Arya told him, stroking the dragon's huge neck.

 _True . . . I really miss Draumr, though . . . I wish I could be with her._ Valinor said.

 _Soon, she and Nasuada will be at Carvahall within the week. When our business here is done, we will go there._ Arya promised him.

 _That sounds like a good idea . . . But why are they going to Carvahall?_ Valinor asked her.

 _Eragon contacted me earlier, from Alalea. Apparently, Eragon the First has found a way to return to Alagaesia without having to use the ships . . .and Crugan and his forces are heading for us. Eragon is sure that Carvahall will be targeted._ Arya replied simply.

They flew for a while, Arya looking around at the great forest which had been her home in her youth, before Eragon had arrived in the picture. She remembered Ellesmera and her mother, and the fact that the city had been lost to a Shade and his army of Ra'zac infuriated her more than anything else that she had ever felt.

 _We are going to get the city back. Its just a matter of time._ Arya decided, determined to get back the city of her childhood.

 _Aye, and we can kill the Shade in the process, eh?_ Valinor asked.

 _Sure, my strong dragon. You can do that, can't you? . . . Valinor?_ Arya asked. Valinor didn't reply, but Arya could sense his thoughts, and she knew that there was something wrong that the dragon had just seen. There was panic there, in his mind, along with an excitement and energy that coursed through him only when a battle was at hand.

The sound of footsteps rained in the air, making Arya's ears tingle as she heard them. There was someone down below. She looked at the ground, at the tall pines. She spotted black armor and cloak on the ground between the streaks of green that were the trees and leave. There was a large group of people down there.

 _Ebrithil Arya, I think I just spotted a huge army of Ra'zac. One of the dragons contacted her mentally._

 _Yes, I see them too._ Valinor said.

There was a moment of silence as Valinor swerved around, flying low over the tree tops. Arya bent around and spotted the huge group of armored Ra'zac marching straight, heading towards Osilon. She grit her teeth in rage as she realized what had happened. Zar'rac and his army were going to launch another surprise attack on another elf city, like the previous one. But this time, they were going to win. They were not going to be defeated again.

 _Head back, we have to find Vaelia._ Arya told Valinor.

"So, what is it that you want tell me?" Deaother asked her, walking with his hand around her waist. She held his other hand in her own, and smiled slightly.

"Oh, this and that . . . Worian is avoiding me completely, but Everaun told me that he hates me now, and hates you too." Vaelia said.

Deaother shrugged, "After the way he was humiliated, I am not surprised . . . What was he saying, when I ran into you two the other day?"

"Oh nothing too important . . ." Vaelia said, then shook her head, her hair blowing into Deaother's face. He rubbed them out of his eyes and forehead, then nuzzled her head with his forehead. She turned around and kissed him then, hugging him. Deaother lost the train of his thoughts as their lips met, and within a second, he had forgotten everything except what mattered to him the most: Vaelia.

Their lips parted, Deaother looked into her eyes, dazed by the kiss. She rubbed his back, then pulled out of the hug, holding both his hands, "Come on, let's go somewhere where it's just us . . ." Vaelia muttered and pulled him. Deaother gaped as she led him down the path.

The few elves whom they passed, just bowed to Vaelia, then turned around and kept walking. Deaother did his best to keep smiling at them, but he knew that they knew why Vaelia was leading him that way. They reached a tree house, and Vaelia let go of his hand, trotting up to the door. She opened it and looked back at Deaother.

"Come on . . ." Vaelia said, her voice full of excitement. Deaother grinned and began hurrying towards her. But then suddenly, there was the sound of wings flapping mightily, and Deaother looked around to see Valinor land on the ground, staring at Deaother.

 _I know what you were hoping you'd do . . ._ Valinor said in his mind, making him jump.

 _You can't blame me . . ._ Deaother replied, making Valinor grin slightly. In normal circumstances, the dragon would have started laughing, but there was something wrong going on right now, something which Deaother didn't know.

Arya hurried towards them, just as six more dragons arrived out of the sky, "Vaelia, there is an emergency, you need to assemble the forces."

Vaelia stared at her in downright shock, then hurriedly came next to Deaother, "What? Why?"

"We are going to be under attack pretty soon, and we need to ready the elves. Zar'rac and his forces will be here within an hour or two." Arya told her, making her curse mightily. Deaother gaped at her again, shocked at what she had just said.

"Fine then, ready your Riders, I'll talk to the council right away . . . Err, Deaother, come with me, will you?" Vaelia asked him. Deaother nodded and followed her as she hurried down the path from where they had come.

They went on for a few moments in silence, but Deaother was sure that there was something bothering Vaelia. He himself had a sinking feeling down his stomach. Things were pretty much frustrating for him. What he had hoped would have happened some minutes ago, and what it had turned out to be. If only Zar'rac had waited another day!

The silence remained, until Vaelia sniffed and said in a extremely saddened and heavy voice, "I am sorry, Deaother . . . I completely forgot about my own responsibilities . . . oh, I am so sorry." Vaelia looked around, and Deaother was sure he spotted a tear in her eye.

He stopped running then, and grabbed her hand to pull her back. She fell into his arms, and he kissed her again. Vaelia was surprised at first, then she wrapped her hands around Deaother and let him kiss her. Deaother let go of her after a moment, then kissed her again.

"You don't need to apologize, Vaelia, its alright. I love you, and this won't change anything . . . not much anyway." Deaother said after they parted, then led her down the path, holding her hand.

"I know, and I am so glad I do . . . but I will make it up to you, I promise."Vaelia replied.

They ran to the Council's headquarters, and Vaelia hurried inside, saying, "Go and put some armor on, I'll meet you here in half an hour. Right now, I have to alert the council . . ."

Deaother nodded and hurried towards the place where the dragons and their Riders were. He was sure that Arya had some armor for him. He sprinted towards them, and found them in the center of the city. Arya was helping Nineal put armor on her dragon. Valinor himself was glinting in green plates, which covered his neck belly and back.

"There you are. You'll need to go and get some armor for yourself, from the blacksmith. Your own armor is at Doru Araeba, I didn't bring it with me." Arya told him.

"Just great . . . where is the blacksmith?" Deaother asked her, and she pointed down the path, where Deaother could clearly see the different sets of amours.

"Tell him I sent you." Arya said, then continued strapping the dragon armor together.

Within half an hour, Deaother had been outfitted in chainmail, with a gilded helm of silver. He wore greaves and gauntlets, and wrist guards. He hung his sword on the belt around the chain mail, which dangled down at the knee level. Deaother oddly felt like he was wearing a short gown.

He hurried out of the armory, pulling off his helm and holding it under his arm as he headed towards the place where Vaelia was. He nodded at Arya as he passed her, this time Angela was with her, who waved at him. Deaother kept heading towards the headquarters of the council. He saw Vaelia then, she still had not pulled on any armor, but was standing before a large group of elves. Deaother recognised the elves of the council there, along with many others who were wearing glistening plated armor.

"We must do whatever we can to protect this city. Deplete their numbers as much as possible, kill all of them if possible. After this, it is up to us to retake Ellesmera." Vaelia told them, looking at all of them. "Lords and Ladies, Generals, you all know what to do and which parts to defend . . . if we can get the archers in place in the next fifteen minutes, our ambush will be ready then."

"I shall make sure that happens, my Queen." The Lord of Sithrim said, and hurried away, thirty elves following him.

The remaining elves also left, heading for their own designated positions. Deaother began to walk towards Vaelia then, he was still far enough to not be recognised. But someone else was walking towards her as well, and that elf was closer. Deaother stared at the person, confused as to who that might be.

But he clenched his teeth in anger as he realized it was Worian. Vaelia turned around to see him there, and she raised her eyebrow as Worian came to a stop in front of her. Deaother waited to the side, watching what would happen next. Worian just stood and stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly hugged her tightly.

Deaother gaped at them, but Vaelia hurriedly pulled away from him, saying, "What are you doing?"

"Vaelia . . ." Worian muttered, walking towards her as she backed away. "I should have done this a long time ago, before you and Deaother, before anything ever happened between you two . . . and I am sorry."

Vaelia gasped at his words, but not before he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Vaelia yelled at him and tried to breakaway, but he held her tight and kissed her right on the lips. Vaelia tried to throw him back, but he was too strong. Fortunately, she didn't have to do anymore.  
A blast of air threw Worian to the side, his lips tearing away from Vaelia's. Deaother ran towards his mate, hurriedly pulling her into his embrace, "D-Deaother . . . I tried . . . I-I tried . . ." Vaelia stuttered. There was shock evident in her voice, as well as disgust and guilt.

"Hush . . . it's alright . . . I know you didn't mean to kiss him and that you tried to stop him." Deaother said, then looked at Worian, who got to his feet. Another powerful blast of wind sent him skidding to the ground.

"And now, let me finish something, alright?" Deaother told her, but Vaelia didn't let go of him.

"Don't hurt him." Vaelia said. "He just doesn't accept the truth."

"Fine then, but I still am going to teach him a lesson." Deaother said, but Vaelia held him tight.

"No, we don't have time . . . I must put on my armor, and . . . you have put some on yourself." Vaelia let go of him and stared at him for a moment, then wiped her eye. "I . . . better go, Deaother, but if you stay with the Riders, I will find you."

"Sure thing." Deaother told her, and stroked her cheek absent mindedly. His eyes were on Worian, who was getting to his feet.

Vaelia walked away then, "Please, leave him, he just can't control himself, there is nothing you can do about that."

"I can show him why he should control himself, the last thing you need is to be distracted at a time like this . . . but don't worry, he will be in one piece." Deaother replied, and let go of Vaelia. Vaelia gave him another look, asking him not to do anything rash, but Deaother ignored her. He couldn't let Worian continue with this madness, there were enough problems and obstacles between him and Vaelia already.

Vaelia walked away then, and both Deaother and Worian watched her go without a backward glance. She just took one last look at Deaother, then disappeared among the trees. Deaother then turned to Worian. The elf stared at him for a moment, then said, "I have no regret, Deaother . . . I love her, and you stole her from me."

"Oh, be silent." Deaother said angrily, and sent another wave of air, throwing him back. "And listen to me . . . you are going to stay away from Vaelia, and away from me, and not try to do something like this again. She doesn't love you, you know this . . . she and I are mates, you can't do things like this anymore. As for stealing her . . . you had your chance, Worian . . . she used to have strong feelings for you, once, but now they are gone." Deaother told him coldly.

Worian gaped at him for a moment, "No . . . that's . . ."

"It is true, she told me herself . . . you should have had the courage to confess, and you should have understood her feelings regarding her father. You failed in both cases . . . You had your chance, Worian, you let it go. Now, don't come in between me and her." Deaother took a step closer to him.  
Worian got to his feet then, and stared Deaother in the eye, "You knew this all along?"

"I did, but I had sworn I wouldn't tell you. Things weren't so simple then." Deaother told him, making his eyes fall to the ground. "I am sorry, I truly am . . . but things changed after you left. We fought to save each other, risked our lives for each other . . . and we became very close."

"I am not questioning the love the two of you have for each other . . . I just want her to know what she missed . . . and-"

"You are hoping she will return to her earlier feelings and choose you over me?" Deaother asked him.

Worian stared at him for a while, then said, "I . . . do wish that. I love her, and that is the only thing I would want Deaother . . . it's not easy to look at the two of you and realize that I could have been in your place . . . and I won't give up, Deaother, until she tells me herself that she doesn't feel anything for me. Only then, will I have peace within myself."

Deaother just shook his head, "You kissed her for that? Against her will? I don't think you have any chance left, Worian."

"I . . . There is a battle coming Deaother, I have to go and prepare." Worian said.

"Stop kissing other people's mates. If you do that again, you'll have a word from me." Deaother shouted at him as he hurried away.


	87. Chapter 86

**Chapter 86: Defending Osilon**

Deaother nodded at Nineal as he passed her, heading towards his mother. She was wearing her glinting green armor and seemed prepared for battle. Her sword, Yawe, hung on her hip from the belt. Her visor was under her arm, and she smiled at him as he arrived there. But the smile vanished when she saw the look on his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked him, concerned.

"It turns out that I have more problems in my relationship with Vaelia than just the fact that she is Queen . . . Worian loves her too, and he is going to try and separate us. Something gives me the feeling he is ready to do anything for her." Deaother told her.

"Oh . . . But, that's not something so big or troublesome." Arya told him, much to his surprise.

"How is that not a big thing? Vaelia had feelings for him once. Now that she found out that he loves her too, wouldn't she want to go back to . . . you know, earlier times?" Deaother asked her.

Arya sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Look son, if she loves you, then the thought of betraying you for someone else, especially someone like Worian, must not even have crossed her mind. And you must trust her now, and keep your head straight . . . she already made her choice when she mated you. If she wants to turn back now, then she made a big mistake."

Deaother stared at her in surprise, but she just patted him on the shoulder again, "You must have faith in her and the love she has for you . . . come here." Arya smiled and hugged him, though the armor ruined the moment between the mother and son. Deaother shrugged and let go of her.

"I do trust her, mother, and I don't doubt anything about her. I know that she is sure about her feelings and decisions, it's just that I . . . I am concerned for her. This strife between me and Worian in her mind will obviously distract her. That's not a good thing, especially now, during the battle." Deaother replied.  
"Don't worry so much about me." A voice said from behind, which Deaother recognised instantly. He turned around to see Vaelia walking towards them in extremely bright and shimmering silver armor with a crown on her head. "I am the Queen, Deaother, and I am sure I can handle this battle."

Deaother smiled and nodded at her, watching her come towards him. She gave him a small smile, and grabbed his hand, leading him away from the other elves present there. Arya turned back to Valinor, stroking the dragon's neck and smiling to herself.

"Did you err . . . hear what I was saying?" Deaother asked her uncertainly.

"Every word." Vaelia said, then stroked his cheek lovingly. "And I am so happy I did. You are taking this, us, so seriously . . . I don't have to worry anymore about things, because I know you'll be there to take care of them."

"Ah, sure . . . I am going to be with you throughout the battle, alright?" Deaother told her.

Vaelia raised an eyebrow, "Why's that?"

"I'll need someone to protect me, won't I?" Deaother told her, making her grin.

"Oh sure, you can count on me." Vaelia replied. Deaother laughed at her, then pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead.

"I love you." Deaother told her, kissing her again on her cheek.

"You too . . ." Vaelia replied, then pulled him closer, reaching up and kissing him on the lips. Deaother smiled as they parted, and kept walking.

"Deaother, I have been thinking about what Worian said, and well . . . did you know that he had feelings for me?" Vaelia asked him after a few moments of silence.

Deaother stammered for a moment, before replying, "I . . . wait, why do you ask?"

"I want to know, that's why." Vaelia told him.

"You do realize that, well, I don't want to talk about it, don't you?" Deaother asked her, making her raise her eyebrows at him.

"And do you realize that I want to know?" Vaelia said, a frown coming to her face.

"It's a thing of the past, why think about it now?" Deaother muttered.

"Look Deaother, I need to know this." Vaelia told him, and he got an annoyed look on his face.

"And I don't want to talk about it." Deaother replied firmly.

Vaelia stared at him, then turned around and began to walk away, "Fine then, I'll find out myself . . ."

"Wait!" Deaother shouted, hurrying after her. "Why do you want to know? Tell me that!"

"It's none of your business." Vaelia replied angrily, but Deaother caught up with her and hurriedly put an arm around her shoulders. She shrugged it off, but he put it back again, She threw a venomous look at him and shrugged off his hand again.

"I am sorry . . ." Deaother muttered, but Vaelia ignored him. He tapped her nose and said, "I am sorry."

"Just go." Vaelia told him, but he grabbed her and hugged her tightly.

"Fine, I'll answer your question, but only because it pains me when you do that." Deaother said. Vaelia snuggled against his neck, rubbing his back, then let go. Deaother looked at her, and realized that she had an amused look on her face. Deaother blushed as he realized what she had done. "You were joking?"

Vaelia nodded, then hugged him again, "Oh, you are unbelievable . . ."

Deaother grunted in reply, but Vaelia kissed him again, making him smile and pull her into another kiss. Vaelia let go of him then, "We need to go, there's a battle coming."

"Fine, where do we go?" Deaother asked her.

"We should head for the gates to the east, from where they were coming. The army is assembled there, and there will be a meeting with the leaders of the opposing armies . . . And I am pretty sure that the discussions will end in the decision of battle." Vaelia told him, holding his hand with both of her own. "And I want you to come with me . . . I don't trust anyone else."

Deaother smiled at her words, "I am honored."

"I expected a 'how nice of you'." Vaelia said, but Deaother just kissed her on the cheek.

They walked towards the gates, where the army was assembled. The soldiers saluted Vaelia as she passed ahead of them, towards where the dragons and their Riders were waiting. As they stopped next to Valinor, Deaother was sure he spotted Worian behind a tree. But the elf disappeared as soon as Deaother tried to get a closer look. Arya nodded at Vaelia and offered to accompany her at the meeting of the opposing leaders.

"Deaother's coming with me." Vaelia told her.

"That won't be a problem, seeing as the Riders are under my command here. I have every authority to come along." Arya replied confidently.

"Well then I am glad you could come along." Vaelia said.

Deaother was glad too, because Arya was the best warrior he knew, other than Eragon. "True, I feel reassured now."

Arya smiled at him, then turned away. Deaother looked around to see Angela, Laun and Solembum walking along with a couple of elves, both of whom looked pretty irritated. They both wore nothing but a loincloth, and had fur on their upper torso. One of them had eyes like that of a hawk and claws, and dark fur. The other had brownish golden fur and talons like a eagle's. Deaother recognised one of them as Blodhgarm and the other, Deaother guessed, was his cousin.

". . . So if I wanted, I could grow fur like this all around me?" Angela asked them.

"Yes." Blodhgarm replied.

"Could I make sweaters out of it?" Angela asked, and Blodhgarm hissed, exasperated, and walked towards Arya.

Angela grinned at Deaother, who winked back. Blodhgarm and his cousin, Maraug, greeted Arya, who replied as was customary. "It has been a long time, Arya Shadeslayer, you have been to the west for far too long."

"True, Blodhgarm, I have been quite busy. But I am sure you met Deaother." Arya said.

"Ah yes, Eragonsson, we sparred at the capital. It was a great duel." Blodhgarm nodded.

"So, now what?" Deaother asked them.

"Now, we wait . . ." Vaelia replied, leading him a little to the side so that a tree hid the both of them away from the army. She sighed then, resting her head on Deaother's shoulder. Deaother looked at her, but she just smiled at him and closed her eyes, leaning against him. The armor tinkled, but Deaother held her firmly.

There was silence for several moments as the elves of the army looked around. There were thousands and thousands of them there, ready to face the Ra'zac. Their armor glinted in the sunlight, at least in the light that managed to come to the ground through the canopy of trees. Elves from all the cities, except the ones past Ellesmera, were present there. The forces from the other cities had grouped at Sithrim earlier, but were on their way Osilon."

"You still haven't answered me, Deaother . . . did you know about Worian's feelings for me?" Vaelia asked him.

Deaother looked at her face, which was resting on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, her hand was across his waist, and the other around his chest. She looked so fragile at that moment, he just didn't want to let her go. He wanted her to hold onto him forever just the way she was holding onto him right now.

"Would it change anything if I did?" Deaother asked her.

"Yes . . ." Vaelia replied. She lifted her head and stared at him, in the eye. Deaother was sure she already knew that he didn't want to answer her.

"Yes, I did. I did know how he felt about you, and I didn't tell you because I promised him I wouldn't." Deaother answered.

"And yet, you didn't stop loving me . . . and yet, you remained such a great friend." Vaelia said, then snuggled against his neck, hugging him even more tight.

"Err . . . Vaelia, I think it's time to get to the head of our own army, because another one is here." Deaother muttered after a couple of minutes, tapping her shoulder.

She let go then, and nodded at him. She began to walk towards where Arya and Everaun were standing, along with the other Riders. But she stopped and turned around, saying, "Stay with me . . . I can't do this without you, Deaother."

Deaother hurried forward then, and together they walked and joined Arya. The army ahead of them stopped marching. It was quite large, full of Ra'zac, their convoluted bodies covered in armor. And at the head of the army stood the traitor Enaevia, the Shade and another Ra'zac, who looked like he was their leader. Enaevia glared at Deaother, whereas Zar'rac sneered disdainfully.

Vaelia turned her back to them then, and addressed the elves in her army. Deaother could see that she was tensed, but on the surface she looked calm and composed, and ready to face any threat, "Elves of the Guarding Forest, hear me! Hear me now, because I have only one thing to say . . ." Vaelia yelled at them. The elves listened to her, their composure straight and rapt. "These are the foul creatures who killed your king, my father, and the ones who angered the great mother . . . there stands the traitor, Enaevia, and the Shade who set the Tialdari hall on fire, and burnt down the city of Nadindel, killing so many of our brethren. Now is our chance to extract vengeance . . . now is our chance to finish them once and for all."

Vaelia stopped then, and looked at Deaother, who nodded encouragingly and egged her on. She nodded back, "Now we fight! For our lost king, our lost city and . . . For our lost PEOPLE!"

The elves roared in reply, spears stomped the ground, swords were drawn from their scabbards, and arrows were knocked in the bows. A group of elves who had been classified to use nothing but magic, readied themselves.

"Come, we have to meet their leaders . . . let us get this battle over with." Vaelia said.

They walked half the distance between both the armies and waited for Zar'rac and Enaevia to arrive. Deaother stood still, looking at the Shade as he walked towards him. For some reason, Deaother had a bad feeling regarding this battle. In the history that he had studied, battles which had been won always had some tragedy to it.

Brom, his grandfather, had been killed in a battle against the Ra'zac, but his father had been saved by Murtagh. At another battle, his father's teachers, Oromis and Glaedr, had been killed. They had won the battle, but they had lost the last Rider of the Old Order. Then, his grandmother, Izlanzadi had also fallen in battle at Dras'leona, and had nearly resulted in the death of both his parents. And finally, there was the Last Battle, the battle where Galbatorix was defeated. His father's friends, Naeivya and Rhunon, had also been killed.

Deaother cursed his enemies as they walked towards him, glaring at them angrily. He knew that he could not let them win against him now. He had the abilities to defeat them, to send them scurrying back to their own land. And that was what he was going to do. His face grew red, eyes flaring, and flames covered his hand. But he controlled himself hurriedly, putting the fire out.

Zar'rac eyed him warily, his sneer vanishing. Enaevia kept staring at Arya, who stared back coldly. Vaelia turned to look at the Ra'zac, who was accompanying them. The three of them stopped in front of Deaother, Vaelia and Arya. Zar'rac stood in front of Deaother, to the left, Vaelia and the Ra'zac stood in the center, while Enaevia stood in front of Arya.

Deaother noticed that the Ra'zac had a locket around its neck. He was sure that there was something curious to it, but there wasn't any time to find out more. They had a battle to fight now, they were in for it for good. Now, there was no turning back, it was either kill or be killed.

"So . . . we meet again, Arya Shadeslayer." Enaevia said, her voice smooth and confident. Deaother noticed there were dark lines under her eyes, which were blood red. It looked like she had been under a lot of pain, or a lot of ecstasy, or both. Deaother cringed at the thought as he saw Zar'rac grinning at Enaevia.

"Looks like you have been having some action of your own . . . I can't believe an elf would be pathetic enough to fall for a Shade." Arya replied, she sounded extremely disgusted.

"Ah, but this Shade is a little different . . ." Zar'rac smirked at them.

"Let usss get to the matter." The Ra'zac said, pointing a finger at Vaelia. "You are their leader . . . sssurrender to us, there isss no other way for you."

"Oh, you should be the one who should surrender, my friend." Vaelia told him.

"Princess, I have offered this before, I offer again." Zar'rac told her, his eyes gleaming. "Surrender . . . come with us . . . do us-me some favors . . . you shall have mercy."

Enaevia turned to Zar'rac, "Favors?"

Zar'rac replied with sickening amusement, "Oh, something similar to what you did last night, just a little more . . . enjoyable for her too."

"Shut your filthy mouth!" Deaother shouted, drawing his sword.

"Deaother, calm down." Arya said hurriedly, but Enaevia drew her own sword. The Ra'zac produced a falchion from his back, while Zar'rac whipped out a couple of daggers.

"Die, all of you!" Deaother yelled, and swung his arm, jumping in front of his mate and mother. A wave of water rushed towards them from above. The Ra'zac and Enaevia were forced back because of it, but Zar'rac rolled under the water and threw a dagger at Vaelia. Deaother knocked the dagger out the air with his powers, then retaliated with a bolt of lightning. Zar'rac raised his palm, stopping the bolt, and sent it back at Deaother, who let the bolt enter his palm with a bright light. A fireball sprouted out of the same light, flying towards Zar'rac.

"Get back!" Vaelia shouted, moving back hurriedly, along with Arya. Deaother retreated as well.

Zar'rac cursed and dived to the side, but Enaevia's leg caught fire. The Ra'zac clicked and dived at Vaelia, who parried a blow and slashed back. The Ra'zac ducked under the sword, but it screeched loudly as a rock bashed against its back, throwing it above Vaelia and skidding to the ground.

Zar'rac lunged at Deaother, but Deaother forced him to jump back with a slash from his sword. He pressed the attack with a bolt of lightning from his palm. The bolt struck Zar'rac on his chest, burning a hole in the leather armor, and throwing him back. Zar'rac got up, cursing, but Deaother and the others had already retreated.

"Charge, Ra'zac, charge!" The Ra'zac, who was apparently their leader, shouted.

Deaother sent a huge wave of fire towards the leaders, sending them scurrying back. Vaelia stood behind him, shouting, "Hold your ground!" just as arrows whistled towards them. Deaother pulled Vaelia out of the way of a couple of them, and stopped a couple as they headed for him and his mate. They embedded themselves in the ground, but the rest met a target. Several elves cried out in pain, but returned fire, with arrows and with magic.

They reached the elven army, and retreated behind several lines of elves who held long spears ready. Deaother followed Vaelia, along with Arya, and they reached the center of the army, where the rest of the members of the council were present.

Deaother felt his heart pumping fast, extremely fast. The magic that he had used some time ago had taken its toll on him, for some reason. He, obviously, had used a lot more of his new found powers than he had ever tried before, and now he felt as if he was about to faint. He hurriedly kept a hand on Vaelia's shoulders and gasped, losing his balance, "Help . . . me."

"The ambush is set, Your Highness . . ." The lord of Sithrim as soon as he spotted Vaelia and the others.

"Good, now we just have to wait for them to come within firing range . . ." Arya said, but Vaelia wasn't paying attention. She was staring at Deaother, who was panting and on his knees, sweat running down his forehead. He looked exhausted.

"What's wrong?' Vaelia asked him, holding up his face. Deaother's eyes were red and puffy, and his face was burning as if he had fever. "Deaother, say something!"

"Can't feel anything . . ." Deaother grumbled. Vaelia turned to Arya desperately, but she was already acting on a solution.

"Calm down, breathe." Arya said, looking around. "This is quite normal, you used more powers than you have before, your body is adapting." Deaother closed his eyes for several moments. The council leaders stared at him, astonished that he was in such a condition. But he opened his eyes, which were a little less red, and his temperature seemed to be ebbing away.

Deaother gasped and held Vaelia's hand tightly, saying, "I'll be fine . . . I think I just overdid that a bit . . . I could use some water." He raised his palm, water emerging on it, which he drank hurriedly.

"Look Deaother, you better get back up, that army is coming closer, and we need you . . . I need you right now . . . we can do this together, or not at all." Vaelia told him firmly.

Deaother stared at her, then nodded and got to his feet, "You are right . . . I just needed a moment . . . these powers are going to win us this battle." Deaother said in a determined voice.

"Loose the arrows!" The lord of Sithrim yelled, drawing his sword.

The army of Ra'zac which was charging towards them was suddenly assaulted from both sides by archers hidden in the trees. The Ra'zac screeched in surprise as arrows sailed towards them, embedding themselves in the convoluted bodies of the foul creatures.

Zar'rac looked around in surprise, and dived to the ground, as did Enaevia and the leader of the Ra'zac. Deaother felt his weariness ebb away as he saw the army's ranks thinning slightly. But the Ra'zac retaliated with arrows from their own bows. The small group of humans in the center shot metallic arrows from crossbows.

The elven archers retreated hurriedly, many of them fell. The remaining made it back to the main body of the forces of the elves, where they nocked arrows again and let them loose, along with the other archers in their army.

Deaother sent several bolts of lightning, which bounced from one Ra'zac to the next, killing several of them. Zar'rac growled in rage, and charged faster, the army following. Deaother watched them coming, and it was then that he appreciated the size of the Shade's forces. It was larger than the army of elves, and it was heading right at them. Deaother realized painfully that this was going to be a tough battle, and that it was vital for them to win, and for Vaelia to survive.

Deaother knew that he could ensure both those things. But the battle had just begun, and already he had fallen to ground with exhaustion after using his new found powers. Things were just getting complicated for Deaother.


	88. Chapter 87

**Chapter 87: Enaevia's Revenge**

Seven dragons roared loudly, emerging from behind the army of Ra'zac and diving towards the ground, through gaps between the tall trees. Valinor led them and he growled with amusement as the humans in the center got a look of terror on their faces.

Indeed, they were going to enjoy their last moments. Valinor headed right for them, fire bursting from his maw, he set more than a dozen of them on fire, then scooped up some more with his fore legs and threw them in opposite directions. The men sailed through the air, yelling at the top of their voices, and hit the tree trunks or the ground extremely hard.

Arrows flew towards Valinor, but they just bounced off harmlessly, due to his armor. Behind him, Phiole disrupted an entire unit of Ra'zac, sending them scrambling in the air, or on the ground with their armors roasting them alive.

And down below, the armies had already met, the elves and Ra'zac fighting and killing each other with impunity. Deaother stood next to Vaelia, along with the other members of the council. Deaother nodded at Vaelia, both of them holding their swords ready. Arya stood in front of them, Yawe in hand. She nodded at Valinor, and raised her hand. Valinor replied with a roar.

"Deaother, Vaelia, I want you both out of harm's way. I cannot afford to lose you . . . either of you." Arya said, making Deaother smile and nod.

"And you won't lose either of us, I promise." Vaelia replied, while Deaother put an arm around her.

"And stay focused, Deaother, ease up on those powers . . ." Arya said, then leapt up and grabbed Valinor's talons and swung herself up.

Deaother stared at her, then readied himself, loosening his helm. "What should we do now?" Deaother asked Vaelia.

"Those Ra'zac will reach us eventually, and when they do, we start killing them one by one, and not stop until all of them are dead." Vaelia told him.

"Fine then . . ." Deaother said. "Or we could go ahead and-"

"Not just yet, let those Ra'zac feel the swords of the elves." Vaelia told him, watching the Ra'zac being blasted apart by magic. "I don't see the shade or Enaevia anywhere . . . We better be on our guard, no need for surprises."

Deaother nodded, "You are right." He held his sword tightly to his side, and intertwined his fingers around Vaelia's.

They stayed put there, but Zar'rac's army was pressing forward, elves falling back. Dragons pressed the attack, destroying the opposing army from behind. But the Ra'zac were moving ahead, slashing and screeching.

Deaother and Vaelia held their position with the other Elven leaders, until one of them, the Lord of Sithrim came up to Vaelia, saying, "Your highness, we need a new plan. We are getting killed, and they have more troops."

Vaelia stared at him, then at Deaother, then at the lines of battling elves and Ra'zac, "We must do something."

"Right, the elves can see us just standing behind them, waiting for the enemy to cut past, but instead, let us give them a surprise. Let us charge." Deaother said. "But Vaelia you will have to stay, you must survive this . . ."

"He speaks the truth, we are just standing here like cowards, we must do our part as well." A lady said.

"Deaother, your mother-" Vaelia began, but Deaother put his hands on her shoulders.

"Vaelia, you are more important than me . . . And if we do something, all of us might survive . . . If we don't, none of us might." Deaother told her, and smiled slightly. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Vaelia looked around at all the lords, then said, "If you are going, then so am I! Fellow elves, lets go kill some Ra'zac!" Vaelia shouted the last few words.

Deaother gaped at her, but the group of lords charged forward, Vaelia at the lead. _There goes my promise to mother . . . oh well._ He sprinted ahead, overtaking Vaelia and blasting away five Ra'zac with fire. He jumped ahead and slashed at another Ra'zac, ducked as a falchion came for him, kicked away one more attacker, and swung his sword blindly. He beheaded one Ra'zac, and cut its brethren's hand off.

The lords filed past him, attacking and parrying. Deaother leapt back into the lead, he wasn't going to let Vaelia get ahead of him. He struck at two Ra'zac, and ducked as they retaliated, dodged right hurriedly as a third one also attacked him. Then all three of them fell to the ground as a lightning struck all of them, one after another.

"Deaother, calm down!" Vaelia shouted behind him, and he looked back to see her fending off three Ra'zac. Deaother noticed that one of them was wearing a necklace, and he realized, as he ran to help his mate, that it was the same Ra'zac who had been with Crugan. It was their leader.

"I am not gonna calm down until this battle is over with . . . Hey, back off!" Deaother shouted and blasted away a Ra'zac who was trying to sneak towards a lord. He attacked the leader of the Ra'zac, while Vaelia finished off one of the others who were fighting her.

But . . .

Deaother just managed to block a blow from the Ra'zac when he heard it, and he hurriedly threw the Ra'zac away and grabbed his ears, his sword falling. Vaelia screamed and fell to the ground. Deaother hurried to her side, and they both looked up to see eight Lethrblaka flying towards the city. The elves remembered them, but they looked quite surprised.

Zar'rac's army cheered, waving at the Lethrblaka, even though the humans were clutching their ears. Deaother grabbed Vaelia's hand, and squeezed it slightly. She turned to him, and he nodded, "Its just sound . . . just noise . . . ignore it!"

Vaelia nodded, and Deaother remembered that elves were a lot stronger than the humans he had been living with. The rest of the elven army got back up and the battle continued. The lords charged, Vaelia and Deaother at the lead, "If we can get to those humans, we are good, because that's where Zar'rac probably is."

"The Ra'zac leader was right here . . . he's after the Queen." The lord of Sithrim said, coming to her side. Deaother looked around, the Ra'zac were backing away from them.

"Oh, they're quite afraid of attacking us." Deaother said.

"Attacking you." Vaelia corrected him, then said, "Now's our chance, let's gather our forces and go!"

But at the same time, the Ra'zac leader appeared, "What are you doing, my brethren? Kill them!" He hissed.

The Ra'zac looked at him hesitantly, and he charged towards Vaelia, along with eight more Ra'zac. Deaother raised his hand, but Vaelia pulled him back, "Stop using those powers Deaother, if you exhaust yourself like you did earlier, you will die."

Deaother stared at her, then nodded, "Fine . . . but stay behind me."

"What's the point, they are charging at us from every direction." Vaelia told him, and soon the clanging of swords began as the Ra'zac attacked the lords. Deaother waited for a moment, then jumped forward and ran his sword through a Ra'zac neck, pulled it out and kicked another one in the face. It screeched as its beak was crushed, but Vaelia beheaded it quickly.

"We need to keep moving!" Vaelia said, and Deaother looked around and blasted four Ra'zac back with wind.

"We must kill their leader first!" Deaother replied, parrying a blow.

"Not if he getsss to you firssst!" Came a hiss from behind Deaother, sending a chill through his body. But he moved instinctively, his heart began to beat faster. He knew there wasn't much chance of getting out of this unscathed.

Vaelia's eyes grew wide as he jumped around and sent a blast of fire. But it was in the completely wrong direction, and a sword slashed at his side cutting past the mail and deep into his flesh. Deaother yelled in pain and threw the Ra'zac away, then back stepped hurriedly.

But another Ra'zac jumped at him from behind, landing on his shoulders, and it raised its sword. Deaother threw him off, but the pain increased, blood oozed out from the huge cut in his side. It had not struck anything vital, but if the bleeding didn't stop, he was going to die.

But he couldn't heal himself unless he had some room, which is exactly what he wasn't getting. But Vaelia shouted, "Cover me!" And sprinted towards Deaother, just as he collapsed to the ground, unable to bear the pain of standing anymore.

"You are such a fool!" Vaelia said, falling to her knees next to him, just as the other elves quickly formed a circle around them, fending off the Ra'zac. Vaelia placed her hand over the wound, while Deaother stuttered something and grabbed her other hand.

"D-Do something . . ." He said.

She began to recite a spell, magic flowing out of her hand. Deaother stared at her, then saw his wound heal swiftly, the complete cut disappearing. Deaother relaxed slightly, then got up hurriedly along with Vaelia.

"Be careful, Deaother . . ." Vaelia told him, placing a glowed hand on his face. His helm had fallen off, which he grabbed and pulled on again.

"I will . . . thanks for that." Deaother replied.

Vaelia smiled at him, then said, "Let's move! Get that Ra'zac leader!"

Deaother looked around, and spotted him, and the some other Ra'zac charging towards them, making room among the battling Ra'zac and elves. Deaother steeled himself as the elven lords made a formation to face the incoming group. Deaother and Vaelia were in the lead again.

The group of Ra'zac clashed with them, and Deaother immediately attacked their leader, swinging and slashing. The Ra'zac parried a couple of blows, ducked under the next one, jumped up and charged at him again. Deaother blocked his blow and threw him back, then raised his palm at him, with a smile, "Die, you filthy maggot!"

The Ra'zac leader screeched, but it was engulfed in an inferno off fire. Deaother then sent three bolts of lightning, killing eight more Ra'zac, then looked around as he noticed a glow. The Ra'zac leader had been reduced to ashes, but the necklace was still there, and it was glowing fiercely. Deaother stared at it, and began to reach forward to pick it up, but suddenly, there was scream.

Deaother looked around to see one of ladies of the Council fall to the ground, a knife embedded in her leg. He knew where it had come from, "Zar'rac!" so he jumped up and sprinted towards Vaelia, because he knew that Zar'rac would go for her. He came next to her, and looked around quickly, but there was no sign of the Shade. She was safe, along with the lords, and the elven soldiers were fending off the Ra'zac around the lords of the council.

"Where is he?" Deaother asked, and the lords looked equally quizzical. Deaother checked his wards, then placed a couple around Vaelia just in case.

"Deaother, the Shade isn't anywhere near here . . ." Vaelia said, she stopped and gasped as a knife stopped a foot in front of her face, then fell to the ground. Deaother gaped at it, as did Vaelia, then both of them looked in the direction where it had come from. Deaother spotted Zar'rac, he was cursing foully and pushing past Ra'zac.

"There!" Deaother yelled and ran after him. The Ra'zac blocked his way, but he blasted them to the side, and leapt over a couple more, parried a slash and sent three bolts of lightning, clearing the way for him. He saw Zar'rac running, and Deaother pulled at the earth at Zar'rac's feet, making him trip and fall onto three Ra'zac.

The lords, along with several Elven soldiers, were already hurrying towards the Shade from another direction, while Deaother chased him down this one. Vaelia was among them. Deaother hurried forward before the Ra'zac blocked his way again, and sprinted at the Shade. Most of the Ra'zac were backing away from him now, afraid of his powers.

Zar'rac got up, and turned to face Deaother, drawing two long daggers, "Come on, Son of the Lead Rider, let's see what you have got!" The Ra'zac were clearing the ground for them.

"Oh, you will . . ." Deaother said, while the Ra'zac formed a circle around them. The group of elves was fighting their way towards Deaother, but other than that, this was only part of the entire battle where there were groups of Ra'zac and elves. Otherwise, everywhere was a mix of humans, elves and Ra'zac, all fighting and battling. The humans were being killed quite fast, but for the most part, the battle was fairly balanced. But the same could not be said about the battle raging up in the skies.

Deaother stared at his opponent, and held his sword ready, his other hand prepared to use his powers. Zar'rac sneered, then whipped both his hands ahead, two small knives flying out from the handles of the daggers. Deaother gaped but knocked both the knives to the side with his powers, and charged. But instead of slashing directly, he flipped over Zar'rac and swung back. But Zar'rac blocked the blow between the daggers, and kicked Deaother back. Deaother stumbled back, and lunged forward. Zar'rac blocked the blow again, and this time he was smiling.

Deaother growled in rage and pulled his sword back, then began to slash, stab, swing, jab and thrust in any way he could, just trying to hit Zar'rac. But his every blow was either blocked or dodged or parried. Deaother could feel his energy ebbing away, and Zar'rac still didn't have a scratch on him.

But then suddenly, the lords cut past the Ra'zac who had been blocking the way, and Vaelia jumped at Zar'rac, sword raised. Zar'rac saw it coming at the last moment, and ducked under the blow, but Deaother attacked again, jabbing and the Shade's heart. His blow was parried, and so was Vaelia's, and both of them jumped back.

"Two against one . . . doesn't seem right . . ." A voice said, and Enaevia appeared from the side, sword ready. "How are you doing, Zar'rac?"

"Quite good dear . . . take care of the princess, will you? I want to teach pointed ears here some good manners." Zar'rac said, and smirked, "Now it's my turn." And he charged.

Deaother could only gape before Zar'rac started hacking and slashing at him with both the daggers. Deaother was hardly able to predict where each attack was coming from, and it was all he could do to not get hit. He dodged whenever he could, because he knew that if he tried to block, Zar'rac's other dagger would do what the first couldn't.

Vaelia attacked Enaevia head on, not waiting for anything. Enaevia gasped in surprise at the ferocity, but quickly began to fight back.

"Valinor, to the left!" Arya shouted.

Valinor began to turn, but she yelled, "No, they are coming from the left."

Valinor growled and sent a torrent of emerald flames at the Lethrblaka who swerved to meet them. It screeched and began to flap away, but another dragon appeared and tackled it, roaring. Arya looked around, and saw that none of the dragons, nor the Lethrblaka, were down for good.

"Let's get rid of one of them, at least . . . come on Valinor, lets get them." Arya shouted.

Valinor growled, and looped around, his tail hitting a leathery creature across its chest, drawing green blood which spilled to the battlefield below. Arya raised her palm and emitted a bright light that blinded the creature, making it screech loudly. Valinor followed it up by quickly grabbing the Lethrblaka's sides with his legs, then bit at its neck, just below the head. The Lethrblaka screeched, but soon went limp as the dragon's bite took its toll.

"Nice one!" Arya shouted, then noticed something odd. All the Lethrblaka were battling a dragon, but all of a sudden they all wanted to get away from them. Were they trying to flee?

One of Lethrblaka hit a dragon squarely on its head, bashing it with its tail. The dragon lost altitude, dazed as he was. Valinor growled, but the dragon spread its wings once more and began to glide to the ground. The Lethrblaka which had been battling the dragon now turned and headed straight for Valinor.

Arya looked back and spotted that two Lethrblaka had managed to get away from their opponents, and were heading right for them. With a shock, she realized what was happening, "Valinor! They are targeting us!"

Valinor growled and dived, swerving around a fourth Lethrblaka. There were a total of eight Lethrblaka, one was down, and the remaining seven wanted to kill Valinor. Arya gave a frustrated shout, and watched as another Lethrblaka joined the earlier four, making a total of five. The other dragons were on their tail, but the remaining two Lethrblaka were kicking them out, one after another.

"We have to do something, Valinor." Arya said, and the dragon tilted his wings, then spun around and flapped just in time to get over the fast incoming Lethrblaka. Valinor roared and dived headfirst into the next one, knocking it out of the air and making it fall. Two Lethrblaka came at him, but Valinor slashed one's neck, and the other caught emerald fire.

Four Lethrblaka had fallen back, but the last one managed to do something. It bashed its shoulder right into Valinor's exposed belly, knocking him back and towards the ground, he flapped hurriedly, even though he was falling. But the Lethrblaka emerged from above and raised its beak for the kill. But Arya wasn't going to allow that to happen to her dragon. Drawing Yawe, she leapt forward, towards the Lethrblaka's leathery side, and pierced her sword into its body.

The Lethrblaka screeched and backed away, with Arya still hanging onto its side, sword wedged in tight. Arya cursed, then drew a small knife and stabbed it into the hide, a little above. She pulled out her sword, so that she was now hanging only by the knife, then pierced the sword in another place. The Lethrblaka had not felt the knife, but it did feel the sword, because it screeched again.

Valinor swerved around the creature, stalling it and trying to make its flying smooth while Arya climbed onto its back. The Lethrblaka tilted upside down all off a sudden, while Arya had just managed to clamber onto its back. Luckily, it had some spikes like the dragons did, although they were smaller. Arya just managed to wedge her knife into one of them, and she hanged onto it for dear life as the Lethrblaka straightened up again. She gave a sigh of relief, then she pulled her knife out and began to move forward carefully. If she could strike the Lethrblaka's head with a nice, strong bolt of lightning, then it would be dead. But she would have to time it right, so that Valinor would catch her.

She kept climbing, using her knife and sword for support whenever she needed. Finally, she managed to reach the creature's shoulders, and sheathed her knife, and held her sword in her left hand, pointing her right palm at the creature's head. She looked around, and saw Valinor swerve right above. Their eyes met, and Valinor understood the plan. He flew alongside the Lethrblaka, to the left, and kept his eyes on Arya.

She smiled and pointed her sword towards the ground, then aimed and shouted, "Kveykva!" A bolt of lightning escaped her palm and struck the dragon straight in the back of its head, killing it instantly. There was a burnt hole where the lightning struck. Immediately, the creature began to glide down. Even thought its wings were still outstretched, Arya knew that without the Lethrblaka consciously keeping them that way, they would soon fold, the Lethrblaka would tilt over, and fall to the ground at breakneck speed.

But that was the first time in a hundred years when Arya had actually been frightened, because when she looked around for Valinor, she saw that he was being tackled, at the same time, by three Lethrblaka. Valinor was roaring and trying to throw them off, but they were holding tight. The remaining Lethrblaka were circling around them, bashing away any dragon who tried to help Valinor. And none of the other Riders knew that Arya wasn't on Valinor.

And then it happened, the Lethrblaka's wings folded, and it tilted over.

Deaother yelled in triumph as he threw Zar'rac back. One of his daggers was broken, he had many cuts on his face, and he was extremely frustrated that he wasn't able to kill Deaother. Deaother was much in the same position, although he had nasty gash on his leg and his shoulder had grazed a tree. Nearby, Vaelia was battling Enaevia. They were both completely unharmed, not even a scratch, but Enaevia was mostly on the defense, which was what she pretty good at. Vaelia kept on attacking her, but she just couldn't cut past Enaevia.

Deaother laughed at Zar'rac, who jumped up, holding his dagger ready, "Let us end this . . . oh wait!"  
Zar'rac said, then looked up. Deaother looked up too, and suddenly, his heart skipped a beat as he saw what was happening.

Valinor was held by three Lethrblaka, and they were heading right for the ground. "What in the world?" Deaother muttered, but Zar'rac laughed, "Oh, that's not the end of it, Deaother, look at the falling Lethrblaka."

Deaother did, and slowly, he went numb all around his body. Blood stopped flowing in his body, and the colour drained from his face. His mother was clinging onto the upside down falling Lethrblaka with a knife embedded into the spine bone. Even though there was a lot of wind coming towards her, she was somehow beginning to make her way to the top of the falling creature.

As Deaother watched, him mother clambered onto the dead Lethrblaka's belly, her sword rooted into the creature's hide. This was going to be painful. Deaother kept his eyes on the Lethrblaka, then saw Valinor managing to throw one of his attackers off. But the other two held one even more tightly, and the third one caught up in a moment, grabbing Valinor's belly.

Deaother knew that he had to help them, but he couldn't help both of them at the same time. Deaother looked around, and saw Vaelia staring at him. He looked back at Arya, who was nearing the ground. Valinor was still thousands of feet in the air because he kept on throwing the Lethrblaka off and gaining altitude, but they kept on catching him before he got any momentum.

Deaother looked back at Vaelia, then said, "Run!" And sped past Zar'rac, grabbed Vaelia's hand and led her into the midst of fighting elves and Ra'zac. They sped past fighting pairs, and didn't stop for anything. Deaother killed anyone who came for him, with magic or with his powers, or with his sword. Vaelia told him to lookout whenever someone was coming for them.

They kept running, but there was a dull 'thud' which told Deaother that the Lethrblaka had fallen to the ground, and that his mother was there. But they weren't even near, they weren't even halfway there. Deaother looked back at Vaelia, and shouted, "Come on! We must save her!"

"We should save ourselves first!" Vaelia replied, but Deaother ignored her, but kept leading her on.

After what felt like a lifetime of clanging swords, bursts of fire, bolts of lightning, and "He's coming for us!" or "Get him!" or "Watch out!" from Vaelia, Deaother finally managed to lead Vaelia out of the battling army to where the Lethrblaka had fallen. He stopped there, and held his sword tight.

"Hello Deaother . . . Princess."

Rage grew in Deaother as he saw what had happened. Zar'rac was there, as was Enaevia, and they were both grinning. How they had reached there before Deaother and Vaelia was something he didn't know, but behind them, Arya was being held by three Ra'zac. Yawe was lying on the ground, along with its scabbard. Deaother glared at them, and brandished his sword, "Let her go, you scumbags!"

"You really think that your shouting will work?" Zar'rac asked, then hurriedly drew a knife and placed it on Arya's throat, just as Deaother began to raise his hand. "If you so much as try to use magic, I will give her a second mouth, and a knife for a tongue."

Deaother stopped, his hand fell to his side. Vaelia was silent, she didn't know what to do. Zar'rac then turned to Enaevia, "Well, it is evident that we have lost this one . . . but we are not going without a prize . . . if not the Princess, we are going to take her. She is important to you, isn't she? And more so to your father . . . important enough that he will surrender to us."

"My father should be the least of your worries . . . especially when I promise you that . . . we are going to kill you." Deaother said, pointing his sword at them. "All of you! And I am going to free my mother . . . you hear?"

"Oh, we will see . . . until then, Deaother, Princess." Zar'rac said, then shouted, "Retreat! Back to Ellesmera!"

Deaother just stared at him as the Ra'zac began to drag Arya away, but she had to say something, "Deaother, help Valinor! . . . Go! Now!"

Deaother stared at her hard, a tear forming in his eye. He hated the fact that he was helpless, he hated that there was nothing he could do to help his mother. But that wasn't the case with Valinor, so he took one last look at his mother, then turned around and sprinted towards where Valinor was nearing the ground. The trees were going to block his path, but it seemed that the Lethrblaka didn't care. Deaother stopped at the ground just below, Vaelia right behind him.

"What are you going to do?" Vaelia asked him.

"Give it everything I have got . . ." Deaother replied. Then he raised his hands, and focused every bit of his thoughts on the air around them. Within moments, his plan came into action, and the wind began to pick up pace, it began to flow upwards, towards the falling dragon and Lethrblaka, slowing their fall.

The speed of the wind increased, and increased, then increased even more. It was like a massive tornado. Wind flowing in from every direction to Deaother, then speeding up. The battle had stopped, but everyone watched in awe at the sight. They could see white lines of the air currents moving past Deaother, towards Valinor. The wind reached the an extreme speed, but Deaother didn't know how far he could make it go, and kept looking at Valinor, who was falling quite slowly than before.

"Valinor! Throw them off!" Deaother yelled at the top of his voice. He knew Valinor had heard him, so he focused on maintaining the flow of air, closing his eyes. Valinor growled, or roared, and with his snout he unfurled one of the Lethrblaka's wings. Immediately, the Lethrblaka screeched as it tore away from the dragon. Valinor's left hind and foreleg were free. He bashed his head onto the second Lethrblaka's, and with his free foreleg, pulled it away from him. The Lethrblaka instinctively unfurled its wings, only to be swept away.

Only one Lethrblaka remained, which Valinor threw off by just rolling over. The Lethrblaka fell off, and Valinor roasted it dead with emerald flames.

But now, he himself wasn't able to unfurl his wings, because of the wind, and he roared and looked at Deaother. Deaother didn't notice because he had his eyes closed. But Vaelia did, and she shouted, "Deaother, look!"

He did, and he saw the dragon was just a hundred feet above him. Too close for comfort. Deaother tried to stop the flow of wind, but by the time he did, Valinor would fall onto him. There was only one way he could see, and that was what Deaother was going to do.

"Get out of here!" Deaother told Vaelia, then waited for Valinor to come near him. Valinor growled and looked down, and saw that Deaother was extremely close now, as was the ground. But Deaother pulled at the magic within him, and at his own powers, and together he managed to create a large torrent of air that increased and increased, until it managed to stop Valinor altogether, in mid air. Valinor yelped in surprise, he had not expected that.

Deaother could feel his energy ebbing away, his eyes becoming blurry. He had managed to stop Valinor just ten feet above him, and now he pushed the winds towards the left side of the dragon's huge body, making him roll over and fall to the ground next to Deaother.

Deaother gasped at what he had done, and fell to his knees, astounded, exhausted and horrified. Around him, Vaelia had disappeared, the Ra'zac were cutting their way away from the elves. Deaother's eyes slid out of focus, he couldn't go on any longer which is why he passed out, the magic had taken its toll on him.


	89. Chapter 88

**Chapter 88: Gift turned curse**

Everything was blurry for Deaother when he finally woke up. At first, he could see nothing but dazzling white everywhere. Then he blinked, his eyes adjusted. He looked around to see that he was still where he had fallen, except that it was a bright morning. Deaother groaned, his arms were cramped and the right shoulder hurt. He slowly got to his feet, and nearly fell back again, in surprise. He was face to face with Valinor, which was something he hadn't expected in the least.

 _How do you feel, little one?_ Valinor asked, looking at Deaother sadly.

"Not too good . . . my body is aching." Deaother said. He looked around again, and saw that there was no one there, except dead elves, Ra'zac and humans. Deaother scratched the back of his head. "Where is everyone?"

 _They think you're dead. Vaelia was crying her eyes out._ Valinor replied, and began to turn.

"What are you saying?' Deaother asked him.

 _After you saved me, you passed out . . . but the Ra'zac were still nearby. Both armies were still battling, although the Ra'zac were in retreat. I knew that the Ra'zac would want to kill you, especially after that little spectacle, so . . . I draped my wing over you._ Valinor said, crawling ahead. Deaother walked alongside, still confused.

"So why do they think I am dead?" Deaother asked.

 _Because I didn't let them find you. I wasn't exactly in a conscious state, and when I returned, I realized Arya was gone and . . . I didn't want them to take you away as well._ Valinor told him.

Deaother stared at him, then shook his head, a smile coming to his face. "Valinor, you're unbelievable . . . you made my mate cry?"

Valinor growled lowly, but Deaother just scratched the dragon's neck. _Let's go back, Deaother . . . let's give them a surprise._

"Sure thing." Deaother said. He took a quick look around the environment, and spotted Yawe lying among several bodies of Ra'zac, its scabbard was also there, several feet away. Deaother realized that his mother must have been surrounded, and so, she must have used both the sword and scabbard to keep the Ra'zac at bay. Deaother grabbed the sword and quickly got onto Valinor's back.

They flew for a short while, flying low over the treetops. Deaother immediately spotted two other dragons, flying around. The stopped as soon as they saw Valinor, then flew closer. One of them was brown whose name Deaother did not know, but the other was Andre, and in his saddle sat Nineal, staring at him with wide eyes.

"You are alive!" She shouted, astonishment evident in her voice.

"Well . . . do I look dead?" Deaother asked her, making her wince. He had almost died, but he was already ticking her off.

"Ebrithil Valinor, we thought you . . . landed on him." The other Rider said.

Valinor sniffed and shook his head. Deaother stared as the other Rider got a confused look. "His Rider, Ebrithil Arya, was captured yesterday . . . so we are both in . . . bad position right now." Deaother told him.

The Rider nodded, not meeting his eyes. Deaother knew he had made him uncomfortable, but he didn't exactly care. He looked down, and saw several elves staring at Valinor. They couldn't see him. He had a sudden urge to jump, to get down.

Valinor dived then, the wind rushing into Deaother's face. He grabbed the dragon's neck spike tightly, he hated the feeling of weightlessness. It made his insides cringe and fingers shiver. But Valinor stopped gently, and landed on the ground. Deaother got off hurriedly, and suddenly, he was extremely aware of the fact that he was still wearing armor, which was battered and broken in many places, and that he was filthy. Elves had already gathered around when Valinor had landed, and they all looked extremely clean to Deaother. He shrugged.

"Where's the Queen? I must meet her." Deaother said, walking forward.

"She's with the council." Nineal replied, jumping off Andre.

 _Where else can she be?_ Deaother thought.

 _Exactly._ Valinor said.

 _Stop saying things so suddenly in my head. Its making me start and jump._ Deaother said, turning to the dragon. The dragon grinned. _Not funny, Valinor!_ Deaother told him.

 _I miss Arya._ Valinor said, crawling ahead. Deaother walked along.

 _So do I, she's my mother . . ._ Deaother said. _But please, give me some room._

 _Alright, find Vaelia, little one, I'll meet you after that._ Valinor said, then jumped up and took off. Deaother stared at him, scratching the back of his head, then continued walking ahead. It took him ten minutes to reach the place of meeting of the council, and when he did, he stormed in, past the five elven guards who were blocking the way. They let him through, but they all gave him a curious look.

Deaother went to the room, where he could hear talking going on in extremely loud voices, then threw the doors open. He walked right in, looking for Vaelia. All of a sudden, he was again aware that he was filthy, stinking, covered in mud and still wearing a broken set of armor. But that didn't matter when he saw Vaelia, who was red eyed, and miserable. She had been standing when he entered, but she fell to her seat when she saw him, her red and puffy eyes widening.

"I am alive . . . although, not in the best condition." Deaother said, and smiled slightly.

The lords and ladies stared at him, and for the first time, they all looked surprised, which was extremely rare. Deaother didn't pay much attention to them, he just walked towards Vaelia, who stood up as and hugged him tightly.

"You . . . don't ever do that to me, never ever . . . I was so lost without you." Vaelia said, breaking into tears.

". . . . I am here now, Vaelia. It is fine now." Deaother said.

Suddenly, he heard coughing, and someone clearing their throat. Deaother jumped and let go off Vaelia, then turned to a mirror, and to his extreme shock, and joy, there stood his father, Eragon, and uncle Murtagh. They would have both been holding back grins, if not for the seriousness of the situation, but both did have an amused smile on their faces.

"When did you get back?" Deaother asked him.

"When everyone thought you were dead, and Vaelia was crying her eyes out . . . in short, five minutes ago." Eragon told him. "What's with you two?"

"Long story . . . and well . . . first thing is that well, mother has been err . . . captured . . ." Deaother told him.

"I know, and we were all under the impression we lost you too, what's this about new powers? You have a lot of explaining to do, Deaother." Eragon told him.

Deaother grinned, despite of himself. His dad was too good at troubling him. "Where are you two?"

"At Carvahall, waiting for the Prince to wake up." Murtagh replied.

Deaother raised his eyebrows, but Vaelia embraced him again, then let go, "You need to wash yourself." Vaelia told him, wrinkling her nose.

Deaother nodded, and said, "I'll err . . . talk to you later then."

"You better." Eragon told him.

Deaother nodded, turned around, and headed for the door.

The battlefield was covered with dead bodies of the Ra'zac, Lethrblaka, humans and elves. There was no one battling anymore, but one elf walked along, still wearing armor, green with blood of the Ra'zac he had killed. It was Worian, and he was just kicking helms and broken pieces of armor, and closing the eyes of the dead elves who had their eyes open.

He spent a long time, just walking, then shouted, "Curse you Deaother! Where are you? Your corpse should be somewhere around here . . ." He was in euphoria, Deaother was dead, Vaelia was alone, now he had his chance with her. He didn't care if she was the queen, or even she wasn't ready to have a mate yet. She was his, and he was doing to have her.

"Deaother! Where did you die?" Worian yelled, kicked something extremely hard. It was the body of the Ra'zac, which flew several feet away, and flopped to the ground. Worian looked around, then looked down, because that was the only part of the entire battle field which wasn't red in colour. It was black because of the ashes, and in between the heap was a glistening necklace with a huge jewel attached to it.

Worian stared at it, curious, then picked it up, "What is this?" Worian muttered, looking at the giant ruby. He liked the necklace, it would make a good gift for Vaelia. But he didn't have a pocket to keep it in, so he just pulled it on. Lesser chance of losing, he decided.

He began to walk away then, he didn't care where Deaother's corpse was lying. Not anymore that he had something to give Vaelia. He was in a hurry to get to her now. As he walked briskly, his mind began to slowly grow rather cloudy and unfocused. He rubbed his eyes, but nothing changed. His mind was still extremely fuzzy.

As he walked, emotions began to burst within him. Emotions of jealousy, love. Emotions grew within him that were making him desperate to find Vaelia, and to tell her something. His walking turned to sprinting before he even knew it, and he reached the city in a matter of seconds. He wasn't even aware of what he was doing, neither was he able to think properly.

 _Do you love her?_ A voice suddenly burst within his head, making him stumble and stop running. For the first time in who knew how long, he was able to control his body. He moved back and leaned against a tree, heaving mightily. Way ahead of him, several elves were talking, mates were hugging each other, glad to find that they were both alive, while other were staring at their lost ones with eyes of deep sorrow.

 _Yes . . . Who are you?_ Worian asked looking around, but his hands raised themselves up, and his head moved from one side to the other.

 _I am the one who wishes to help you . . . the one whom you hate . . . he has conquered the love of your life._ The voice was smooth and extremely gentle. Worian listened to it, and as more and more words poured out, he wished nothing more than to listen to it.

 _How do you know this?_ Worian asked him, suddenly curious.

 _I heard them talking . . . they both think you are a nuisance, and that your love is not worth her time . . . she's a queen after all._ The voice told him, making him rub his face, his ears beginning to grow red.

 _But Deaother was her mate . . . she could spare time for him, but not for me? . . . this is not right._ Worian thought, and waited for the voice to respond. He was almost hoping it would tell him to do something that would change things between him and Vaelia.

 _A person such as yourself does not deserve to have their love rejected like this . . . and the ones that reject it deserve to die, don't you think?_ The voice told him with extreme gentleness and in as suave a way as possible.

 _I-What? No! You speak nonsense!_ Worian declared, beginning to get up.

 _Oh, you were so close to listening to me!_ The voice replied, suddenly devoid of all its smoothness and oily tone. It had become fierce now, losing all its gentleness. _But too bad, pathetic elf, you put that necklace on, so there's nothing you can do now . . . I control your body now._

 _That's not true!_ Worian exclaimed, but he stood straight, and without even trying to move himself he began to walk towards the tree where the council was gathered.

 _Now, I am going to do a little job which will make things easier for Zar'rac._ The voice was saying.

 _Zar'rac? You are in league with him!_ Worian told him,

 _Oh, not exactly . . . I created him to do what he can do best. Kill people . . ._ The voice replied.

Worian didn't know what to think, but he was hurrying forward, towards the five guards who stood there. He walked towards them, and nodded, then began to walk past, but they stopped him, "Sorry, Worian, but the princess has asked us to keep you out . . . she doesn't want any interference."

Worian wished to say, "Fine, I will come back later." But it came out, "Let me through, or I will kill you all."

The elves stared at him, but didn't move. Worian stared at them all, then grabbed one elf's head and cracked the spine in one fluid movement. Within a second, the other elves were ready and five feet away from Worian. Two of them had a spear, one had a bow, and the other had a dagger. Worian wished to say, "Oh, what did I just do?" But, instead he said, "Die, you rotten bags of dung!"

In the next minute, Worian did not know how he moved, which way he moved and why he moved, but when he was done, all the guards were lying dead on the ground. Worian stared at them all, but before he could repent, he entered through the door, unable to stop himself.

 _You! You are controlling me!_ Worian shouted with his thoughts.

 _No, I am letting you do that what you have always wanted to do . . . Deaother is alive, and you are going to kill him . . . isn't that what you wanted?_ The voice asked forcefully.

 _I . . . but I would like to do it myself, I don't need your help._ Worian said.

 _Oh I know what happened last time you tried._ The voice told him, and he could hear someone laughing. _No, Worian, I am going to do it, as I want him dead too. He is another obstacle, just like his father._

Worian tried to stop himself, tried to control his body with all his might, but he couldn't do anything. Only his thoughts were his own, otherwise, he was doing things he would never have done. He reached the door that led to the council, and stopped, listening intently.

 _It's just a small shot anyway, so I think I will risk you getting killed, Worian._ The voice told him. Worian felt horror dawn upon him as he drew his sword, then pressed his ear to the door.

" . . . talk to you later." Deaother was saying.

"You better." Another voice replied.

 _Now!_ The voice said and Worian burst through the door, charging right at Deaother.

Deaother reacted instinctively, not even waiting to see who was attacking, or why, but he ducked and spun around with his leg outstretched. His attacker leaped over his leg and ran towards Vaelia, sword raised.

But Deaother got up and sent two bolts of lightning at the attacker's legs, making him topple and fall to the ground, "Vaelia move! Get out of here!" Deaother shouted, drawing his sword. The lords and ladies were already moving out, one of them shouting for the guards.

Vaelia was wide eyed and shaken, but the Lord of Sithrim grabbed her hand and took her outside with him, while Deaother stared at the attacker, who was getting. Vaelia stared at Deaother, then shouted, "Its Worian!"

Deaother turned to her, confused, then it hit him. Worian was the attacker, but why would he attack them?

Deaother raised his sword, and he saw his father and uncle watching intently from the mirror. Great, I have an audience.

"Deaother Ridersson! Spawn of the Fool Rider! You take the person I love, and now you take my respect. I will kill you for all of it." Worian shouted at him in a raspy and thick voice. To the side, Eragon flinched.

"Worian, calm down, no one needs to get hurt here . . ." Deaother said.

But Worian just growled and charged manically, "I will kill you! Die!"

Deaother blasted him back with another bolt of lightning, "This is useless, Worian, you shouldn't even try." He threw Worian back with another blast, making the elf fly across the room and land on the ground extremely hard. He got up and spat out blood, and glared at Deaother.

"I am going to kill you, then I am going to kill her . . . but first, I will touch her everyw-" Worian was cut off when Deaother yelled as loudly as he could.

"You just crossed the line! Now, you die!" Deaother charged. Worian smiled and got ready to parry, but Deaother didn't attack directly.

He turned around at the last moment, then swung around powerfully. Worian gasped as Deaother's sword collided with his, nearly knocking it out of his hand. Eragon and Murtagh applauded, "I taught him that!" Murtagh told Eragon.

"No wonder he's so sloppy at it." Eragon replied.

"You are welcome to come and try yourself!" Deaother shouted at Eragon, and parried a blow, kicked back at Worian. "It's a new sword, eh?" He told Worian as he noticed the falchion.

"Yes, it belongs to the Ra'zac who was dragging your mother away." Worian replied, sneering.

Deaother glared at him, "You are going too far, Worian . . ."

"I don't care, Deaother, because it won't matter once you are dead, and Vaelia is all mine." Worian shouted at him.

Deaother noticed a necklace hanging ahead of his shirt. That was not there earlier.

Worian smiled, and raised his palm, "Taste of your own medicine . . . Kveykva!" A bolt of teal lightning shot out and flew towards Deaother, who just grinned.

Deaother stopped the bolt a foot away from his chest, and turned it into a ball of golden fire, which flew back to Worian. Worian stopped it, but Deaother winked. The ball of fire exploded, fire covering Worian's body, but he shouted, "Adurna!" And water emerged from the air above, dousing most of the fire.

"Enough games, lets finish this!" Worian shouted and charged. He ran towards Deaother, and leapt, swinging forward. Deaother blocked the blow, grabbed Worian's wrist and threw onto the wall headfirst. Worian hit the wall, and crumpled to the ground, blood coming out from the top of his head.

"Deaother, destroy the necklace! Worian is being controlled by Crugan." Eragon said, pointing at the big, glowing jewel on Worian's chest.

"Are you sure?" Deaother asked him, and he nodded. He turned back to the elf, who was lying on the ground. "Right, Worian . . . Shall I kill you? Or will you apologise?" Deaother asked, but Worian got back up.

"Oh, I have nothing to apologise for, Deaother, except this: I am sorry, but neither you nor your father, nor anyone can kill me. I am invincible!" Worian said, stretching his arms wide.

Deaother raised his eyebrow, then looked at the necklace, it was glowing. "I think I can fix that little snag."

Worian stared at him, but Deaother just raised his palm at the necklace, and a fist sized stone which was lying somewhere behind, flew right at it and struck the jewel in the centre. The jewel shattered to little pieces, clattering to the ground like pieces of glass.

Deaother smiled and Worian suddenly went limp, and the sword fell out of his hand. He himself fell to his knees, but Deaother backed away, sheathing his sword, "I have nothing to say to you, Worian, except this. You are more trouble than you are help, and I think, after all that you have done today . . . I should finally end this."

Worian looked up, "I couldn't control myself . . . Deaother, I couldn't control my hand, or my voice, or any part of my body. He wasn't even letting me reach out to anyone with my mind."

"You put that necklace on, it's your fault, Worian." Deaother shouted.

"I didn't know it was so . . . dangerous. I thought it was just-"

"A harmless, nice looking piece of jewelry? The leader of the Ra'zac was wearing that necklace, Worian, during the battle." Deaother said, then came forward and grabbed Worian by the collar of his shirt, hoisted him up and smashed him against the wall, "No more, you are not going to trouble Vaelia with your actions. Either I kill you now, or the lords decide to brand you a traitor and kill you anyway . . .or you go away, far away, and never return. The choice is yours."

Worian gasped, then said, "Whatever happens, I won't be killed . . . not by you!"

Deaother shook his head, in disgust, and threw him to the far side of the room. Worian fell onto several tables and chairs of wood, which splintered and broke, "Go away, Worian, it's the only chance you have."

And he left the room, leaving the elf to stare at the now normal mirror, horrified at his own reflection.


	90. Chapter 89

**Chapter 89: A hard choice**

 _Alright, Valinor how do you feel?_ Deaother asked him, gladly pulling off his armor, and stretching his sore back. He was in his room, while Valinor was lying outside. Oddly, they were both still able to communicate with each other through their minds, even without trying to reach each other mentally.

 _Fine, Deaother . . . wait, Vaelia is coming. She's heading towards your room._ Valinor told him. The door opened behind, making him jump.

"Deaother, we have to talk." Vaelia said, walking in and sitting on the bed.

"Of course." Deaother said.

"Worian, what was wrong with him? Why was acting like that?" Vaelia asked him. "And is he alright?"

Deaother stared at her, then folded his hands and said, "He is fine. He found a necklace on the battlefield, which he thought would be a good gift for you, considering the fact that I was apparently dead, and you were lonely. But he thought it would be nice to try it on, I don't know why . . . but it was a necklace designed by someone to allow them to control the person who wears it. That was the reason he was behaving like that."

"And now?" Vaelia asked him.

"I destroyed the necklace, he has returned to his senses." Deaother told her, and smiled slightly.

"Deaother, there's one more thing. I am . . . wait, I will just get to the point." Vaelia told him, as he sat down next her.

"I am listening." Deaother replied.

"Fine . . . We . . . cannot attack Ellesmera right now." Vaelia told him, making Deaother raise his eyebrows.

"Why not? They are in retreat, if we move now, we will catch them off guard." Deaother told her.

"I know why you are egging me to do this . . . I want to get Arya back too." Vaelia said, and placed a hand on his bare shoulder. "But, a threat much greater than this is coming for Carvahall . . . we have to be there, we have to help your father, and Prince Angrenost."

"What about my mother?" Deaother asked her. Vaelia stared at him, then dipped her head.

"I . . . There's nothing I can do Deaother, even though I want to, I can't . . . The majority in the council feel that we should help the Broddring Kingdom . . . and that's not it, Eragon the First is here too." Vaelia said.

Deaother stared at her, then turned to look at the ground, "I was supposed to be dead an hour ago . . . and after all I did, the elves can't help me get my mother back. She has done a lot more for the elves than anyone knows!" Deaother told her. He was careful to control his voice, but Vaelia had already noticed the anger in it.

"I know this seems like the wrong decision, it might as well be . . . but the army belongs to the council. If the Lords and Ladies all decide to take their own forces and head for Carvahall, it will just be the two of us against that Shade, and Enaevia, and all those Ra'zac and Lethrblaka." Vaelia said softly, letting go of his shoulder.

 _She forgot about me!_ Valinor said suddenly.

"We will have Valinor too . . ." Deaother said.

"How many Lethrblaka can he kill? He was taken by three of them, yesterday." Vaelia said, then jumped as a roar came from outside.

"He didn't like that." Deaother said. _Calm down . . ._

 _Tell her my Rider was-_ Valinor began, but Deaother cut him off.

 _Wait, let her finish._ Deaother told him. "So, what are you saying? We forget about my mother, and go for Carvahall . . . what if they kill her, or torture her, or-"

"They won't do any of those things, because they want to use her as bait for your father . . . taking her as an unharmed hostage will improve their chances. They . . . never mind!" Vaelia said, but Deaother raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me." He said.

"They can . . . maim her if your father refuses to cooperate." Vaelia told him.

"Fine then, that's just great!" Deaother said, and got up, pacing around. "I don't know what to do . . . What do you expect me to do?"

Vaelia stared at him, "I expect you to . . . well . . . do you what you think is right."

"And what is right, please tell me . . . I am lost." Deaother told her, frustrated.

"Look, you know I would want you to be by my side . . . always . . . and if you come with me, we are going to help your father, uncle and aunt." Vaelia told him.

Deaother stared at her, then looked out of the window to see a emerald green eye staring at him. "I . . . want to help them . . . but I want to help my mother too."

"They won't kill your mother, Deaother, but the force that will attack Carvahall will want to wipe out everyone. And if your father is defeated there, then your mother will also be killed. She will be of no use to Zar'rac or his master." Vaelia told him, then grabbed his hands in her own. Deaother stared at her, then pulled her closer and hugged her.

"I . . . can't do this . . ." Deaother told her. "I can't leave her . . . I can't leave you, or the rest of my family . . ."

 _I think . . . I think we should go, Deaother._ Valinor said.

"Say what?" Deaother asked, perplexed. Vaelia looked up at him in surprise, but he was looking at the giant eye outside his window.

 _We should go to Carvahall . . . What your queen-little annoying-mate says is true._ Valinor told him.

 _Little annoying?_ Deaother asked, feeling a bit annoyed himself.

 _The point is, we better go to Carvahall . . . nothing has happened to Arya, she is safe. I can find out to some extent._ Valinor said.

Deaother stared out, then sat down on his bed again, "Vaelia . . . I love you, and I love my mother . . . but I don't think I'll be use to either of you dead." Deaother told her, and kissed her on the forehead as she sat down next to him. "I am coming with you."

Vaelia stared at him, and happiness came to her eyes as she leapt forward and hugged him tightly, "Oh thank you! Thank you so much! For a moment, I thought . . . what would I do if you didn't come along . . . but I should have known you wouldn't let me down."

Deaother ran his hands down her back, while she tightly hugged him, her head on his bare chest, "But I still think you need a bath . . . go, I'll wait for you here."

Deaother grinned, and nodded at her as he left the room for the nearest spring, where he bathed himself for several minutes, easing his aching muscles. After all the blood and gore, mud and filth had been washed away, Deaother returned to his room, where he saw Vaelia lying on the bed, her eyes closed.

Deaother stared at her, she looked exhausted. He walked closer to the bed, and sat on the edge of the bed, then slowly ran his hand around her head. She snuggled closer to him then, as he lied down on the bed as well, letting her come into his embrace, "Rest, Queen of my heart, rest."

"Wake me up soon . . . we leave in three hours." Vaelia told him in a muffled and rather quiet voice.

"Are you packed?" Deaother asked.

"I didn't bring anything that would be needed to pack." Vaelia said slowly. Valinor appeared at the window, and watched them both. They waited for a while, and Deaother realized that Vaelia had fallen asleep. He smiled.

Deaother turned to Valinor, then gently pulled Vaelia's hand away from his, lifted her head and put it on a pillow, then walked over to the window. _You want to go to Carvahall to see Draumr, don't you?_ Deaother asked him, making him blink.

 _Yes, and I realized that the two of us can't kill an army. We make a good team, Deaother, but without your mother, we are not that good._ Valinor told him, and backed away as Deaother climbed into the window. He jumped forward, onto the ground, and got up.

 _So we need father's help?_ Deaother asked him, and began to walk alongside him to the place where the dragon had been lying.

 _Yes, we do . . . and we need an army. And since this army is headed for Carvahall, we can bring it back again after its job there is done._ Valinor joked.

 _If we survive._ Deaother told him.

 _We will . . ._ Valinor replied.

Deaother spend another hour talking to Valinor about how the Battle at Carvahall would unfold, then contacted his father and explained everything to him, from his new powers to being mates with Vaelia. And he sorely wished that his uncle and aunt would not have been there. Worse still, Saphira, Thorn and Draumr were also listening intently from outside and Thorn winked at him, as did Murtagh, at the same time which made Deaother laugh.

"So, now your mate is the queen who is coming here to help us, who is being targeted by every shade, Ra'zac and crazy lunatic under Crugan's command. You have bleeding, powerful powers from who knows where, and you are coming to Carvahall while your mother has been captured and taken to Ellesmera . . . This is bad!" Eragon said.

"What is?" A new voice asked, and fourth person entered the room. Deaother didn't recognize the elf, but he could guess who it was.

"The entire situation here . . . my mate has been captured by Zar'rac." Eragon said. The new elf's eyes met Deaother's, and he could almost feel the power and wisdom in them. He felt intimidated.

"You must be Deaother, I have heard a lot about you already . . . I am Eragon . . . the First." He corrected himself when Eragon smiled at him. "I keep forgetting there's another Eragon right next to me. Oh well, good to finally see you."

Deaother gaped at him, "Likewise . . . well, I have been hearing about you since I was born so . . . there's a difference."

"Eragon." Murtagh said, and both of them turned to him.

"Yes?" Both asked.

"Err . . . Thorn says the Prince is coming around." Murtagh said.

"I saw a woman with him the other day, who is she?" Nasuada asked, getting up.

"Someone he trusts." Eragon replied. "Anyway, we better go talk to him . . . Deaother, I suppose I will see you here?"

Deaother nodded. Eragon nodded back at him, and began to turn away, when he suddenly, "I know you are worried about your mother, I am worried too . . . but my hands are tied Deaother, I can't harm Zar'rac as long as she is captive. But the same doesn't go for you, because they don't consider you a great threat as of now."

"What are you saying?" Deaother asked him, suddenly getting hopeful that his father might just allow him to leave and save his mother on his own.

Eragon looked at everyone around, then back to Deaother. Valinor was also listening intently. "They won't pay much attention to you when I, Saphira and Valinor are all there to occupy them."

"So you have a plan?" Deaother asked him.

"No." Eragon said, and folded his arms, sighing. "I want you to make a plan." With that, the mirror went dark, and Deaother was soon able to see his own confused face, unable to make sense of what his father had said.

 _Plan to save mother . . . great!_ Deaother thought, frustrated.

 _You can do it, just remember what your father told you, and the status of importance all of us will be on._ Valinor told him.

Deaother nodded at the dragon. _I guess I will . . . but I need to go check on Vaelia._

 _Sure._ Valinor told him nodding. _And I need you to pack the things Arya brought._

 _I'll do it in a while._ Deaother told him, then turned around and hurried towards his room. He slowly opened the door and saw that Vaelia was awake, and she smiled at him when he entered the room. He smiled back, and sat down next to her on the bed, his arm wrapping around her shoulder. Vaelia placed her head on his collar and closed her eyes.

"Do you feel better now? You have had a hard day." Deaother told her.

"I am better . . . but I need to tell the Council to read the army. We have to begin the march to Carvahall." Vaelia said, but he stroked her cheek slowly.

"Just give me a moment then . . ." Deaother muttered, and kissed her cheek. "And one more." He kissed her other cheek.

Vaelia just gave a small laugh, and kissed him back when he kissed her lips. "I am so glad you are coming. And I promise, I will do everything I can to help you get Arya back."

"It's a bit weird when you call her by her first name, especially when she is the mother of your mate." Deaother told her, and kissed the side of her neck.

Vaelia sighed, then gave a small of moan as Deaother pressed her fingers which were intertwined with his. Vaelia looked at him, and he looked back at her, and there was something in her eyes that made Deaother didn't want to move, but to just keep staring at them.

"I love you, I just love you so much." Vaelia told him, and hugged him.

"I love you too." Deaother replied, and laughed slightly as he hugged her.

"I was thinking, before you came, that after this is all over, what will we do?" Vaelia asked him as she let go.

"I don't know . . . what do you want to do?" Deaother asked back.

"I don't know either . . . but it should be something I have never done before." Vaelia replied.

"You remember that pool of magic waters? The one in Ellesmera." Deaother said, lying down and placing his head on her knees. She caressed his hair, and nodded in reply, looking into his eyes. "Well, what did you see in it?"

Vaelia didn't reply for a while, then looked up and smiled, "I saw . . . I saw you, I saw Ellesmera, and I also saw something else."

"Children." Deaother muttered, and she abruptly turned to him, in evident surprise. "You saw children, didn't you?"

"How did you-?" She asked him.

"Because I saw them too . . . they were our children . . ." Deaother said, and caressed he face, then pulled her closer. "They are our future."

Vaelia stared at him for a while, and slowly got a smile on her face. "Yes . . . I want children Deaother, and I don't care what the other elves say . . ."

Deaother just hugged her then, as she said. "We will have children, and they will have grandparents too . . . We are going to save your mother, Deaother I am sure of it."

"I hope so . . ." Deaother said, and kissed her neck.

Vaelia smiled, and nodded at big, emerald eye staring at them from the window.


	91. Chapter 90

**Chapter 90: Reunited**

"Ephian, I just got reports." Orik said, limping over to the Rider. Ephian looked around, pulled out of his own thoughts.

Two days had passed since the battle for Tronjheim, since Elva and Orúm had both disappeared. Ephian had no idea where they were, and how he would find Elva. After the battle, Ephian had rushed to Eridor, telling to search for Elva's mind, but it was blocked off from him. He had not even realized she had been there.

But that wasn't all, the dragon had cursed him mightily for letting her go, and as much as Ephian tried, Eridor just refused to believe that Elva had turned sides and had been fighting for Orúm. Eridor had not spoken to Ephian since, and had snapped harshly at Jiarha as well when she had tried to support her Rider.

"Did they give it to you?" Ephian asked, staring at a group of dwarves who belonged to the Az Sweldn Rak Anhûin, who had just arrived.

"No, the dwarves at Galfni did." Orik told him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "The Shade was spotted to the west, in the tunnels near Galfni. Isn't that where he came from, and caused that uproar in the city?"

Ephian stared at him, "You are sure about this?" He asked, his hopes rising.

"Of course I am sure!" Orik told him.

"He was spotted there when, exactly?" Ephian asked him.

"Earlier today, we got this message through the mirrors." Orik said.

"Great, I know what he is doing!" Ephian said, and hurried towards the gate of the Throne Room. "I must leave at once, Orik, the Shade is trying to teleport himself back to Alalea. I must find him first."

"So you're going." Orik told him. He looked around at the dwarf king, and smiled, "I'll be back soon, and I hope I can bring Elva along."

 _I really think this being a bit hasty, Ephian._ Jiarha said, but Ephian didn't listen.

They were flying across a valley in the Beor mountains, heading for Galfni. From there, Ephian planned reenter the hall where the magic well was, and stop Orúm for good. And he knew Elva would be there, because she was confused, and Orúm was the only one zhe would follow at that moment. Either that, or she would remember her way back to the well. But something gave him a feeling that she would end up there somehow.

 _If that shade doesn't turn up there soon, I will do something to you that you won't forget._ Eridor added, growling.

 _Calm down, both of you. He was spotted there, which means that the Well is what he is heading for. If we can get there before him, then things will be great._ Ephian told them.

 _And Eridor, you are not going to touch my Rider. He is afraid of you as it is._ Jiarha told him.

 _I am not!_ Ephian interjected.

 _Well, you should be._ Eridor told him. _But I am sorry, I am just worried about Elva, what if we don't find her?_

 _We will, she is somewhere around there, Eridor._ Ephian told him.

They flew on for the rest of the day, covering half the distance. The dragons took a break for a couple of hours at night, then started again. They knew that they could reach there within a day, and that Ephian would be doing most of the fighting. They flew on and on, and Ephian saw the valleys and trees flirting past below them, and the peaks above them.

By noon the next day, the city of Galfni was in sight. Ephian had hoped that he wouldn't have had to go back there for a long time, but it seemed that there was nothing for it now. Jiarha swerved around, heading for the mountain that contained Mani's dream well.

 _You ready_? Jiarha asked him. Ephian was pulling on his gauntlets, then dug rechecked his wards, and pulled on a visor, tightening the knot below his chin.

 _Yes . . ._ Ephian told her, then began to mutter the spell to make himself faster. That was the one thing that always gave him the edge to fight the Shade, making him as fast as Orúm and able to react at the right time and speed.

 _Good, let's get the crazy bastard!_ Eridor told him, and dived. They could see the hall where the Well was, and huge hole that Jiarha and Eridor had created while blasting their way into the hall. Eridor flew in and landed next to the well. Jiarha landed on the other side of the well, and Ephian jumped off, looking at the waters. They were normal, like normal water, not black, the way they had turned when Elva had been thrown in.

 _So he hasn't gone back yet._ Ephian said, and drew his swords. Which means that he is on his way.

 _You do realize that his remaining army might be with him._ Eridor told him.

 _Which is why you two are here._ Ephian replied.

 _This is going to be hard, let's just hope nothing bad happens._ Jiarha said.

 _He has some two hundred or so soldiers with him . . . you can kill more than that, Jiarha, you too Eridor._ Ephian told them.

 _True . . ._ Jiarha told him, then crouched low. _Now, be silent._ And pressed the side of her forehead to the ground.

 _What do you hear?_ Eridor asked her, and she snapped at him, irritated.

 _I told you to be quiet!_ She said, then kept listening intently. _I can't hear any army running towards, but I definitely hear some footsteps, I don't know how many, but the number is very small._ Jiarha said, and stood up straight. _And if they are coming here, they will be here in less than ten minutes._

 _More than one pair of footsteps?_ Ephian asked, suddenly hoping that Elva was on her way here too.

 _I think so, and one of them is very close, the footsteps are ringing in my ears._ Jiarha said, and stood up straight, getting to her full height.

Ephian drew his swords, and looked around. _I hope its Elva._

 _Why?_ Eridor asked suddenly. _I mean, I hope the same, but why are you so eager?_

Ephian stared at the dragon, then at Jiarha. _Because I . . . because I love her, Eridor. Don't tell me you didn't know that._

 _I didn't. I guess that explains everything, the little fight we had after she disappeared, and how you chased her when she appeared at Tronjheim._ Eridor told him.

Ephian nodded, and sighed, sheathing his sword. They would have to wait for some more time. But they were at the center of attention again. Anyone who wanted to escape Alagaesia would need to get to the pool of water, around which stood two dragons and a Rider. It would be impossible to slip past them, or to remain unnoticed.

And so they waited, talking less and just looking around for the most part. Ephian kept looking back at the pool, wondering what would happen if Orúm cast the spell from far away. Would all three of them get sucked in first, and be captured in that land of origin of elves? Ephian didn't want to know.

 _There's someone there!_ Jiarha said suddenly. Ephian's head snapped around and he stared up at the entrance to the tunnel, the same one he and Elva had used a long time ago. There indeed was someone there, and whoever it was, they were moving fast. Ephian watched as the person jumped from the destroyed portion of the topmost level to the ruins of the second level, from where it jumped to the ground. Ephian drew his swords and stood ready, as did the dragons around him.

But the figure stopped moving, and suddenly began backing away, and Ephian realized that the person was yelling out in pain all of a sudden. He looked around at Eridor. _Its her! When she sees important people from her past, she starts yelling, I don't know why._

The blue dragon growled and began to crawl forward towards the person, who was Elva, but she shouted, "Back off, dragon!"

 _Its me._ Eridor said, crawling closer. Ephian knew that he was trying to enter her already troubled mind.

"What? No! Stay away from me! Orúm!" Elva shouted, making Ephian jump and look around. He was lucky he did, because the shade jumped at him from the second level, sword raised.

Ephian moved to the side, dodging the sword, and parried a second blow from Orúm. He moved to the left again, dodging the Shade, then kicked his sword away and slashed at him. Orúm ducked, and blocked a swing and threw Ephian back.

"Why do you interfere in our business? We wish to extract revenge! We have no fight with you no more." Orúm said, pointing his sword at Ephian.

"So you say, but I don't think I want to take the risk, especially with that uncertain little head of yours." Ephian told him.

 _Ephian . . . His remaining forces are coming towards us._ Jiarha told him.

 _Got get them then, both of you, I'll handle Orúm and Elva._ Ephian replied, speaking to both Eridor and Jiarha.

 _Are you sure?_ Eridor asked him.

 _Elva won't be a problem, and Orúm I have defeated before . . ._ Ephian said. Orúm was also looking around, a look of maddening joy on his face. He looked like a little boy in a sweet shop. On the other side, Eridor flapped to the air, as did Jiarha, and they both flew out of the hall, heading for the tunnels in the mountain, where they would intercept the army as it came for them.

Elva was nowhere to be seen, again, so apparently, it was just Ephian and Orúm for now. Orúm stared at him for a while, then readied his swords, "Elva will not fight. We asked her to stay out of this, as I want to finish this thing between us."

"Oh sure." Ephian said, holding his swords ready. "Let's get this 'thing' over with then."

Orúm charged, yelling, and skid to the ground at the last moment. But Ephian jumped over him, and turned around, swinging Nuanen. Orúm parried the blow and slashed back, but Ephian knocked his sword aside with Edoc'sil and jabbed forward with Nuanen. But Orúm grabbed Ephian's wrist with his free hand, and twisted it.

Ephian cried out in pain and stumbled back, just as Nuanen fell to the ground. His wrist wasn't broken, luckily, and the pain was receding, but Orúm had managed to do what he wished to, bring the fight to one man against one man, on sword against one sword. "Let's do this." Ephian bellowed, brandishing Edoc'sil.

"Sure thing." Orúm said, and attacked Ephian. He deflected the blow, but Orúm pressed the attack, slashing up. Ephian moved to the side, dodging the blow, and kicked at Orúm. The Shade cursed as he fell back, but jumped back up hurriedly. Ephian stabbed right at his heart, but Orúm knocked his sword aside and began attacking back.

To the side, Elva emerged from behind a rock and hurried towards the fallen blue sword, Nuanen. She grabbed it and shouted, "Orúm, stop!"

Ephian parried a blow and raised his sword to deflect another one, but Orúm stopped fighting and backed away slightly. Ephian looked around at Elva, who was holding Nuanen in her hand, and was staring at him with curiosity. "I want you to answer some questions . . .Lately, I have been extremely unsure of what to believe, what to think, but what you said back at the dwarf city certainly brought back a string of memories which . . . which I know are real. What I am asking is . . . what is your connection to my past? And what is my past? And why did I feel so close to that Dragon?"

"I'll answer as soon as I finish off this abomination." Ephian said, and began to charged towards Orúm, but Elva shouted, "He obeys me!"

Ephian stopped in his tracks, "What?"

"I said I'd get him to you, if he swore to help me as well. . . which is why he has been obeying me so far." Elva told him.

Ephian stared at the Shade, then at Elva, then back at the Shade, "Great, I guess, but look, the remaining soldiers from his army are on their way here. I don't think the dragons will be able to stop all of them from entering."

"Then answer my questions quickly." Elva said, and pointed her sword at him. Ephian raised his own sword, he didn't want to repeat the mistake that he had made earlier.

"Fine then . . . you were born here, in Alagaesia, in the city of Tronjheim, which you attacked. You were given special powers, accidentally, by Eragon Kingslayer, and they allowed you to read other people's minds and feel what pains them and gave you purple eyes, and his dragon, Saphira Brightscales gave you the mark on your forehead. But after you bonded with your dragon, the blue one you asked me about, your minds were connected and he managed to block off those powers." Ephian said, then paused to take breath.

Elva's expression was unreadable, but Ephian had been speaking in the Ancient Language all this time, which meant that he wasn't lying. "You got that mark on your hand when you became a dragon Rider, just I and all the other Riders have. But we were on a mission to stop this very shade, earlier this month, during which he threw you into that pool and I don't know, transported you off to some foreign land. After that, you returned during the battle at Tronjheim, and you know what has happened after that." Ephian finished and stared at Elva, then slowly began to walk forward. "And you don't know how happy I am to see that you are alive and unharmed . . . don't you remember anything? All the good times we had together? How you were jealous of Trellony and all that? Don't you remember anything?" Ephian pressed her, beginning to walk forward.

"I remember . . . I just wasn't sure . . . No, don't move!" Elva pointed her sword at him. Ephian jumped back.

"Look Elva, I know that, somewhere deep down, you want to admit that you know this is all true, but you are just fighting yourself. Stop doing that, and look into my mind . . . look into my heart, Elva, and you will understand you mean to me . . . You will understand how much I love you." Ephian said, knowing that this wasn't the best way for him to confess his feelings for her, but hoping that it would do what normal words could not.

"You what?" Orúm said. "She is ours, Rider, and ours she will remain."

But Ephian kept staring at Elva, who was wide eyed and dumbstruck. He knew that she had looked into him, and how sad he felt for her and how much he had regretted what had happened to her. She stared at him for several minutes then, then lowered her sword, eyes extremely wide with surprise. "I-I . . . Ephian, I h-had no idea."

"Elva, you are coming around!" Ephian said happily, but Orúm jumped between them.

"This is not what we decided." He said to Elva, who was just trying to look around at Ephian. "We wish him dead."

 _Hell's breaking loose! We killed many of them by now, but they just keep coming. Many have got past us, they are coming towards you right now! Get out of there!_ Jiarha said in his mind suddenly.

"They're coming! We have to kill him, Elva." Ephian shouted, and jumped at Orúm. But things happened faster than Ephian had anticipated. The Shade jumped back, Edoc'sil missed him by an inch. He retaliated before Ephian could, and the hilt of his sword struck Ephian's forehead, making whip around and fall to the ground, dazed.

 _Ephian!_ Jiarha yelled in his mind. Orúm advanced onto him, raising his sword, a look of complete triumph on his face.

"And now, Rider, you get out of our way once and for all!" Orúm said, and grinned at him.

Ephian blinked, his vision was blurred, his hearing wasn't that good and Edoc'sil was not in his hand. The sword was lying just inches away from his hand. Orúm stared at him, "Pathetic. This is how you behave when you are about to die . . . there is no honor in dying this way, Rider, look at us! Face us! Hate us . . ."

Ephian just groaned, then muttered, "Elva . . . help me."

Orúm just laughed and held his sword tightly, then plunged it down, right towards Ephian's heart. Ephian stared at it, his heart beginning to beat faster, his vision returning to normal and his hearing improving. His body was giving him the best it could, his body wished to survive, his body wished to avoid the pain that was going to come to it. Ephian felt the blood in his body beginning to pulse faster through the veins as the sword neared him, and he gasped.

 _Goodbye, Jiarha . . . I love you._ He thought, knowing that he couldn't get out of this now.

 _No!_ He felt her reply. The sword was mere inches away from him. Orúm's face was filled with glee.

Ephian's closed his eyes then, knowing the sword was going to pierce in the very next second. _I am sorry._

The second passed, nothing happened. Another second passed, still nothing. A third second passed without any pain. Ephian gasped and opened his eyes, and saw that Orúm wasn't there, and neither was Elva. Instead, there was clanging of swords in the background.

 _Wait! I am alive!_ Ephian said, and hurried to his feet. He swayed slightly, but managed to balance himself.

 _Oh, thank you for that . . . I was holding my breath all this time._ Jiarha said.

Ephian turned to the source of the clanging swords, and saw Elva sparring with Orúm. He hurriedly picked up Edoc'sil, intending to help her, but he was having a difficult time standing on his two feet, let alone battle a furious and crazy Shade.

 _Ephian, you are alright aren't you?_ Jiarha asked him.

 _I am fine, really. And apparently, Elva is back to normal, at least I think so. She was the one who saved me, and she is fighting Orúm right now._ Ephian said. _And I could use a little energy . . . my sword only has enough to sustain my spell._

 _Here, and be careful next time._ Jiarha told him, and he felt a surge of energy flow into him. He held Edoc'sil ready and looked around then, because he had realized something.

"Elva! The army, or what remains of the army, its here! We must get out of here." Ephian shouted and began to hurry towards her.

"Not until this bastard is dead." Elva shouted and attacked Orúm even more ferociously. Ephian jumped into the fight, hacking at the Shade. Orúm pushed Elva off and faced Ephian, parrying two blows, and narrowly dodging a third, getting a mild cut across his chest. Ephian jabbed at him, but Orúm knocked his sword aside and lunged at him. Ephian dodged to the right, and Elva jumped at him with Nuanen.

Orúm ducked under her sword and slashed at her. She blocked the blow, but the force pushed her back. Orúm made to attack her, but Ephian thrust his sword forward, grazing the Shade's shoulder. Orúm let out a cry of pain and backed away from them, but Ephian and Elva charged at him again.

This was beginning to get intense, Orúm was able to hold off both Elva and Ephian. They had to finish him off quickly, or the soldiers would show up, and they would be overwhelmed. They kept on hacking and slicing at him, but he kept dodging, blocking or parrying them, and backing away hurriedly.

Elva grabbed her sword with both her hands and swung it down with all her strength. Orúm deflected the powerful blow, Nuanen knocking Edoc'sil as Ephian tried to follow Elva up with an attack of his own. Both the swords clanged, and Orúm raised his palm, "Good luck, Riders!"

A blast of magic threw them back, just like the first time they had encountered the Shade. They hit the ground hard, skidding several yards. Ephian got up hurriedly, and saw Orúm climbing up the rubble on the far side of the hall. The rubble which had been formed the last time when Eridor had blasted in through the roof. The large debris had been when the dragon had smashed the wall, breaking a large portion of it into the rubble that it was now. Climbing it would take Orúm to the second level, and from there, he could reach the next level, which had a tunnel which conveniently led out of the hall.

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was the sound of metallic boots behind them. Elva and Ephian turned around, and saw soldiers in armor emerging in front of them, from one of the tunnels. Ephian and Elva turned to each other, then without a word and began to back off. The soldiers yelled at them, brandishing their weapons.

"Kill them both! The woman has betrayed us, she is in league with that Rider!" Orúm shouted from the second level.

 _Ephian, we are coming, just hold on for a while._ Jiarha said.

 _We don't exactly have a choice, do we?_ Ephian asked her.

 _Point, just a couple more minutes._ Jiarha replied.

"Run!" Ephian shouted, turning around and sprinting. "Stay with me, don't disappear." Ephian said, and he got an irritated look from Elva. "Right, you won't run." He grabbed her hand and led her in the opposite direction, while the soldiers ran towards them, shouting and yelling things like, "Death to the Rider!" They ran to the debris, following Orúm, and Ephian hurriedly hoisted Elva up the rubble formed there, and followed as she climbed to the second level.

"Now what, Ephian?" Elva asked him, turning around as he appeared. Ephian looked around, and realized with a sinking heart, that they were stuck. No tunnel lead anywhere from this side of the room, and they couldn't go anywhere now, because the soldiers were right below, beginning to climb the rubble.

"Well, we might just die here, and I . . . I want to do something before I die." Ephian said, and turned to her. Elva turned to him as well as he began to walk towards her, ignoring the shouts and curses from down below.

"Wha-?" Elva began to ask, and she gasped in surprise as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her very close to him, their faces less than an inch apart.

"This . . ." Ephian muttered, and pressed his lips against hers. In a second, she was kissing him back, wrapping her hands around his back. Ephian kissed her with all the love that had remained suppressed within, giving her everything he had. She didn't seem to be holding back either.

They separated then, and Ephian smiled at her, and looked down hurriedly. The soldiers were halfway up. He looked around and saw about two hundred and fifty soldiers standing around the Dream Well. He looked up and with a sigh of relief saw Jiarha dive in through the hole and set many men on fire. She swerved around the room, and landed right in front of Ephian. Ephian turned to Elva, and said, "Wait for Eridor." And he ran forward and jumped onto his dragon. Hurrying now, he pulled on his straps, killing three men with magic, and shouted, "Let's go Jiarha!"

 _Right._ She roared and took to the air, flying past Eridor, who landed in the exact same place she had been. Ephian looked back and saw Elva climb onto him, and saw them following Jiarha as they flew out of the hall

 _We will need to send someone to clear those men out._ Ephian said, watching as Eridor caught up to them. There was a look of joy on Elva's face as the wind made her hair trail behind her, whipping her face.

 _At least we got her back._ Jiarha muttered.

 _This is not over . . . head for the entrance that we had used the first time we came here. That's the only way out for Orúm now, because that's the way that he went._ Ephian muttered.

Jiarha growled, and signaled Eridor to follow her. "We are going to kill that Shade!" Ephian shouted to Elva, who nodded at him. They flew around the mountain, and Ephian saw the familiar sights. But he didn't pay attention to them. He wanted to focus on his current aim, to kill Orúm.

They arrived at the entrance within minutes, the place where Ephian and Elva had helped each other put their armor on properly, where Trellony had left them after Ephian had shouted at her. Things had changed completely since then.

Jiarha flapped close to the ground and landed, while Ephian jumped off, smiling at her. "We are going to finish this, aren't we Elva?"

"Yes we are." Elva replied. Eridor and Jiarha stared at each other. There wasn't enough room for even one of them to land, which meant that would have to see the show from somewhere high, which exactly what they didn't want to do. But there wasn't much they could do anyway, so they flapped away after a few words of 'Good luck' and 'Get the pathetic nimrod'.

Ephian and Elva hurried away from the entrance, hiding in the cover of the trees. The illusion wasn't present there any more, the entrance was visible completely. The Riders waited in silence, but Ephian watched Elva for a while. She noticed this and looked back, raising her eyebrows.

"About earlier . . . I don't know what-" Ephian began, but she placed a finger on his lips.

"Not now, we have to talk about it, but I already know everything there is to know from your side . . . you need to hear my side of the story." Elva said.

"How do you . . . right." Ephian said as he noticed her purple eyes. She had got her powers back, she obviously knew everything he was thinking and feeling. He would have to be careful about his thoughts from then on.

Elva must have noticed that too, because she flinched. Ephian turned back to the entrance then and several minutes passed in silence, until Elva muttered, "You distract him, I'll creep in from behind and get him right in the heart."

"Will do, I don't have enough energy for a full scale fight anyway." Ephian replied, but he checked on the reserves in Edoc'sil. There wasn't much, and Ephian was using it to sustain the spell he had placed on himself. If he didn't use it for anything else, then his superior speed would last for another three hours. He was sure he wouldn't take that long to take Orúm down, so he grasped his sword tightly.

"He's coming . . . I can feel the spirits in his body." Elva muttered suddenly, and crouched.

Ephian got up and walked towards the door, and stood outside with his sword in his hand, staring at the door. To the side, Elva crept quietly to the side, staying out of sight. She placed herself a little ahead of Ephian, behind a tree, and waited for Orúm. She kept staring at Ephian, and nodded. Ephian crouched and readied himself for the Shade.

Orúm emerged from the entrance, sneering. But the humorous look on his face vanished when he saw Ephian standing there to greet him. Ephian smiled, "I couldn't help it, I had to say farewell."

"Curse you, Ephian!" Orúm said and drew his sword. "Why don't you just give up?"

"Wouldn't be right to do that, would it?" Ephian asked him.

"Oh sure . . . let's end this then." Orúm said and crouched into a ready position.

 _Jiarha, a little energy please?_ Ephian thought to her.

 _Sure . . . I thought you two had a plan._ Jiarha replied as Ephian felt a wave of rejuvenation in him.

 _We do, you'll see soon._ Ephian told her, and slowly began to back away.

"Oh no, you don't!" Orúm shouted and charged at him, swinging his sword. Ephian knocked his sword aside in midair and kicked him back. He saw Elva right behind him, moving forward quietly with her sword ready for the kill. But Orúm was a step ahead of her, and he turned around and slashed at her. Elva jumped back in surprise, but couldn't dodge the sword completely.

"Elva!" Ephian yelled as Elva screamed in pain, a horrible and deep cut across her stomach. "You are dead for sure now!" Ephian ran towards Orúm, who just sneered.

"Come to us, Rider." He said, and parried a blow from him, retaliating powerfully. Ephian caught the blow on the hilt of Edoc'sil, and threw Orúm back. Elva gasped, Nuanen had slipped for her hand. She placed a hand over the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Ephian took a glance at her, then looked back in time to knock aside a jab from Orúm.

Elva stared at Ephian and Orúm, and grasped the hilt of her sword and began to get up slowly, even though it pained her immensely. She knew that Ephian wouldn't be able to defeat Orúm on his own, which was why she had to help him. Ephian deflected another slash, parried a swing, and blocked another lung. He was on the defensive now, and that was quite bad for him. He wouldn't be able to block every blow, and one lucky shot might just be the last shot Orúm would need to finish him off.

Orúm pressed the attack, pushing Ephian back, but Ephian knew he had to defeat him. Things had gone far enough now, he was going to end this. Ephian yelled in rage and ducked under Orúm's sword, then smashed his shoulder into Orúm's stomach, throwing him back. Ephian got up hurriedly, and jumped forward, and plunged the sword at Orúm's heart. But the Shade rolled to the side, and Edoc'sil embedded halfway into the ground. Ephian muttered an oath and pulled at hi sword, but it wouldn't budge.

"Die!" Orúm shouted from the side, swinging at him, but Ephian jumped to the ground. Orúm's sword sailed harmlessly over him, and struck the cross guard of Edoc'sil. With a loud clang, the sword slid out of Orúm's hand and landed next to Ephian, who got up hurriedly. He punched the Shade across the face, and jumped forward and grabbed him by the folds of his shirt and threw him to the side.

Orúm rolled to his feet and raised his palm, grinning, "Istla-Ahhhh!" He screamed at the top of his voice then, tearing at his own lungs, and at Ephian's eardrums. Ephian stared at him in extreme surprise and astonishment, and a look of relief and joy came over him as he spotted a blue blade poking out of his chest.

"Elva, move!" Ephian shouted, and watched as Orúm's body began to shimmer and grow transparent. Elva appeared from behind him and began to run towards Ephian. "We did it!" Ephian said happily, and grabbed Elva as she stumbled into his arms.

Ephian's joy soon turned to worry as blood fell on his hand. He turned Elva around, and saw the cut on her stomach. She smiled at him though, "You are fine . . . I am happy about that."

Ephian smiled and placed a hand on her wound, "And you are a legend, I am happy about that."  
He began to heal her wound, just as the dragons began to fly towards them from where they had been watching. Ephian looked up to see four spirits fly up into the sky, and that Orúm's body had disappeared, leaving only his armor and clothes behind.

"Well, we completed the mission we had set out to do after all . . . congratulations Elva." Ephian sniggered and hugged her. She wrapped an arm around him as well, kissing his cheek.


	92. Chapter 91

**Chapter 91: A slight surprise**

It was nighttime, and Ephian was sitting on a cliff, staring up at the full moon glistening in the star filled sky. It was getting colder, during the night, and looking at the snowcapped peaks of the Beor mountains just made him shudder even more.

Behind him, Jiarha and Eridor were asleep, with Eridor's wing draped over Jiarha, and her head close to his chest. Ephian smiled at the mates, knowing how much they loved each other. But that wasn't what he was looking for. Ever since their escape from the Dream well, Elva hadn't spoken much. True, Ephian had kissed because he had thought he would not get another chance, and she had indeed kissed him back. But then, they had not said a word to each other.

And now, Ephian sat alone, and he hoped that he would spot Elva somewhere and talk to her. He looked back again, and to his dismay and disappointment, she wasn't there. He rubbed his arm and looked to the side, but was still unable to find her.

"Looking for me?"

Ephian turned around and stumbled back in surprise as he came face to face with a pair of purple eyes. It indeed was Elva, and her eyes were scaring Ephian out of his wits.

"Yes . . . I need to talk to you." Ephian said, and grabbed her hand, pulling her to sit on the ground next to him. Elva sat down without a word, and spread her legs next to him. He sat cross legged, and stared at her, avoiding her eyes. "Back there, at Mani's caves . . . we kissed, and I err . . . I want to explain why."

Elva smiled at him slightly, and nodded. Ephian continued, "It's a bit complicated and I don't know if you remember but . . . All the time we spent together before you disappeared, they have been one of the best of my life. I never thought I could love anyone the way I loved you . . . never thought I would ever feel the same way about anyone but you . . . You are my life and soul, Elva, you mean so much to me."

"I know, Ephian . . . I know how you feel about me. I have known for a while now, ever since you let it slip at Mani's caves, and after kissing me in front of those people . . . I know you love me, and that its killing you because I am not telling you what I feel." Elva said, then crept closer.

Ephian felt a chill going through him, Elva's final words had said exactly what he had been feeling, something was definitely wrong, "You . . . you have got your powers back, I guess its not surprising that you know all that." Ephian told her.

Elva nodded, and came extremely close to him, "I can feel what you feel . . . I know what you know . . . I can feel the love that you have for me, Ephian."

"Wait . . . just stop." Ephian said, and raised his hands, backing away from her. "This is not right . . . you shouldn't be doing this."

"I can't help it now. It's in my nature." Elva said, then followed him, even as he backed away even more.

"You can destroy anyone with those abilities, Elva . . . that's way too much power." Ephian replied, beginning to get to his feet, but Elva grabbed him by the wrists and pulled him down, hard. She had grown stronger. He fell to his knees then, his face mere inches from hers. He shuddered again.

"I know . . . and that's what I have over you, isn't it?" Elva told him, and placed her hands on the two sides of his neck, then reached towards his lips with her own. Ephian stared at her, suddenly intimidated, and tried to pull away, his emotions and thoughts beginning to heighten as he began to panic. But then something tugged at him from within the forges of his mind, pulling his thoughts away, bringing him joy, he could feel his tension ebbing away. Ephian relaxed then and watched as Elva came closer. But he didn't understand, he didn't want to relax, he wanted to tell her to control her powers, but somehow all his thoughts were shifting and going in the direction he didn't want them to go.

"Calm down . . . relax . . . I am not going to hurt you . . . I love you too, Ephian, and I just want to show you how much." Elva muttered, and kissed him full in the lips. Ephian felt her, and couldn't help himself. He kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her back. He pulled her into a close embrace and kept kissing her. She let go after a moment, but kissed him again as he pulled her towards him.

"This is . . . heavenly." Ephian said when their lips separated, and kissed her again.

His thoughts were jumbled in the confines of his brain, confusing him, forcing him ahead. He wanted nothing more than to kiss Elva, to touch her, and to show her how much he had missed her. But at the same time, he wanted her to return to the person she had been before, he wanted her to get back her beautiful blue eyes, and lose those horrible purple ones.

Elva let go then, and slowly backed away from him. "I know I look different, Ephian, and that you hate the eyes that I have now. But I don't know whether Eridor will be able to do what he did earlier." Elva told him.

Ephian stared at her for a while, she was a changed person. The Elva he had known would not have taken everything so lightly, she would have smiled and laughed and hugged him when she would have realized that he loved her. She would have told him whether she loved him back or not. She would have made a lot of fuss, but now, things were just straight and to the point, no questions asked.

"Elva, I have always loved you, and your heart and the person to whom those eyes belong is what matters to me . . . you know that don't you? You can feel it, can't you?" Ephian asked her, and kissed her cheek.

Elva embraced him tightly, "I was afraid Ephian, I was afraid you wouldn't accept me the way I am . . . Because I don't know if I can return to normal . . . this might just be the way I will remain." Elva told him, her voice slightly croaky.

"It doesn't matter to me, Elva, I want you, not your powers . . ." Ephian said, rubbing her head slowly and gently stroking her hair.

"I love you Ephian, I love you so much." Elva said then, and held onto him more tightly. "Please don't leave me, ever again . . . I want to stay with you."

"You will stay with me, I promise." Ephian smiled and let her hands slip away from him slowly. He nodded at her. "So, are we together now?"

"Yes, we are . . ." Elva muttered, beaming at him. Despite her horrible eyes, she looked extremely beautiful to Ephian. He sighed first, then kissed her again.

Another day had passed since Ephian and Elva had got together, and now, they were standing below the Isidar Mithrim, along with Orik and Trellony and Guard of Honor, in front of a huge assembled crowd of dwarves. The entire city, the surviving forces of Tronjheim, and armies from the nearby cities were there, and they were staring at Ephian.

"He is the hero who saved our city . . . this is the second time that the city of Tronjheim owes its survival to a Rider." Orik had just finished his speech with that last line and a gesture towards Ephian. The crowd broke into a huge round of applause then, and Ephian came to the podium when Orik stepped aside.

"I just have a few words to say to you, good knurla. The dragons that you see behind me, and their Riders, have all equally contributed in saving Tronjheim . . . And if not for all of you, there wouldn't have been any Tronjheim left to save!" Ephian shouted the last few words, and raised his hand to the air. The dwarves responded will yells and bellows, raising their axes, swords , anything and everything in their arm's reach, to the air.

"Well done Ephian." Orik whispered to him as he stepped back into the podium while Ephian got down. "Now, fellow Dwarves, I have another announcement to make . . . Alagaesia needs out aid." The dwarves fell silent at their king's last announcement, staring at him in surprise. "Yes, the army that attacked was just the beginning, the real battle is going to take place up north, at the Capital of the Broddring Kingdom, and that's where we should be."

The dwarves began to look at each other in surprise, some even started to ask question, before Orik raised his hand to silence them, "Here's the truth, the Shade who led his armies against us serves another, much greater evil. This . . . person, whoever it is, wishes to destroy our homes, fill our tunnels with dirt and soot, and take our riches! Can we let that happen, fellow Knurla? . . . Well can we?" Orik bellowed at them.

"We'll give them hell first!" Came a shout from within the crowd, followed a huge approval from almost all the dwarves present there.

"Exactly, and that's what we are going to do. Stop them! Help our fellows in this beautiful land of ours." Orik said, then called for silence again. "We shall begin our march to Carvahall tomorrow morning, prepare yourselves for the journey."

With that Orik stepped down from the podium and smiled at Ephian. He smiled back, and felt something run down his arm and hold his hand tightly. He didn't have to turn to know that it was Elva. "Eridor is already working on the . . . condition I am in . . . I am sure I will be fine soon, Ephian, he can remake the barrier that he had created earlier." Elva told him.

"That's great!" Ephian said, beaming at her. She nodded back, but averted her eyes from him hurriedly. "What? What's wrong?" Ephian asked her, holding her hands.

"It's just that I . . . I haven't experienced these powers for so long, and now that I do, I don't know, it's just . . . I feel like keeping them." Elva told him, making him stare at her with wide eyes.

"You what?!" Ephian said, and looked around. Trellony was laughing along with several dwarves, Eridor and Jiarha were huddled together somewhere to the side. The dwarves surrounded them as well, asking questions. Ephian didn't even want to know what Jiarha was feeling at the instant. Luckily, Gedwëy was nearby, and she was taking more than half the heat for some reason.

"You can feel everything these people feel, can't you?" Ephian asked her.

"Yes, especially you . . . I think its because of my feelings for you, but whatever you feel tugs at me like a chain tied to my neck." Elva said, and placed a hand on his cheek. "I can feel the excitement that just went through you . . . I can feel your doubt, you are wondering whether I am in my mind or not . . . well, I am in yours too."

"Not exactly making me feel better." Ephian muttered, then grabbed her hand and said, "Come with me . . . We have to talk."

"Ephian I know you want to tell me to get rid of these powers." Elva said, and Ephian turned around, letting go off her hand. "I know everything you are thinking . . . I can feel your pain as well, Ephian, because I am not the same woman you fell in love with."

Ephian stared at her, then slowly backed away, "So, are you going to get rid of them?" Ephian asked her.

"Now that I look back . . . I don't think I can afford to. Think about it, I can protect us from anyone and anything." Elva told him. Ephian stared at her, then raised his hands.

"You don't need those powers for that, you can just expand your mind and figure who is where and are they coming towards you." Ephian told her, feeling slightly annoyed at her.

"I can stop them before they attack us.' Elva added then.

"That . . . No! You can't do that, Elva . . . I would like to have some private space too. There are some things I wouldn't want to share, you know . . . oh, of course you know, you are in my bloody head!" Ephian exclaimed, pointing at his forehead, then stormed off.

"Wait! You said you wanted me, not my powers!" Elva shouted at him, following him. "You said you would accept me the way I was."

"I said I would, but that doesn't count if you actually want to, and like to use those powers when there is a solution to the problem. If it was something that you couldn't help, I would have been fine with it . . . Hell! I would have forced myself to be fine with it, but now is different. You are not speaking sense." Ephian told her, turning around to face her.

Elva stared at him for a while, "So what are you saying? I listen to everything you say?"

Ephian didn't reply for a long time, his eyes boring into hers, until he couldn't bear them anymore, "No, I am telling you to make a choice . . . and I know you can feel how much it pains me to say this but . . . you will have to choose between those powers of yours, and me. If you want me, no mind reading powers. And if you want those powers, well then . . . forget about me. Eridor and Jiarha are mates, and you will be nothing more than a fellow Rider to me." Ephian finished, turned around and began walking away from her.

She stared at him as he walked away, feeling what he was feeling. She knew he already regretted saying all that, but he had meant it, and that unless she got rid of those powers, she wasn't going to get him back in any case.

She sighed then and turned around, not thinking, and began to walk towards Eridor.

There was sound of someone banging the door hard. Ephian groaned in his sleep. What the heck? It was past midnight.

Jiarha didn't reply, she was fast asleep. Ephian grunted and got out of bed, heading for the door. He stopped then, thinking better of it, and grabbed Edoc'sil from his side table, and held it ready and opened the door slightly.

"What are you doing? Put that down!"

"Elva? . . . Wow . . . Wow!" Ephian nearly dropped Edoc'sil in his surprise. He stepped back slowly and was more surprised than he had ever been in his life. He hurriedly placed his sword on a table, and stared at the woman in front of him, almost goggling.

"I can't live without you, Ephian . . . and from now on, the only man whose thoughts, pains and needs I want to relieve are yours." She said and stepped into the room. She was wearing a nightgown. But that was not what Ephian was looking at. He was staring at her eyes, her beautiful eyes which were blue again. They were just the way they were meant to be, just the way they had been when he had first seen her.

"You . . . I can't believe you chose me, Elva." Ephian jumped forward and hugged her tightly, his arms going around her bare shoulders. It was then that he noticed what she was wearing. "Why are you in a nightdress?"

"Why do you think?" Elva asked him, a wild look in her eyes. Ephian could only stare in awe as she kissed him in the lips.

"I can't think." Ephian muttered when she let go. She kissed him again, and pushed him slightly, making him fall back onto the bed.

Elva pointed her hand at the door, and with a muttered word, the door closed behind her. "Then I will show you." The room reduced to darkness, but Ephian felt Elva's hands run across his chest, and pull at his tunic. She pulled it off and threw it at the ground, and pulled him higher on the bed, making him yelp in surprise at her strength.

Before he could even understand where her hands were going, he had already felt the rest of his clothes being pulled off and thrown across the room. But he was not that far behind, and in one fluid movement, he himself had pulled off her own night gown, laughing.

The waves were thrashing against the star board side of a huge ship below a densely dark sky, the sound like lightning to the soldiers inside. But it was only one huge ship, but more than a hundred that followed it. At the head of the ship stood a man in dark robes, looking ahead at the silhouettes of the mountains of the Spine. They were still far away, but not far enough for his eyes.

"Alagaesia." He muttered. "You have slipped from my grasp before, but this time, there will be nothing left to slip from my grasp. I will reduce you to nothing! And nobody is going to protect you, not that filthy roach Eragon, nor your own Lead Rider. You elf city has been taken, and both your elven and human kings are dead . . . not in a very good condition, are you?"

"My lord, we have lost Orúm." A voice behind him said suddenly.

The person turned around swiftly, his eyes not showing a flicker of emotion. "He has been defeated?"

"Yes . . . And we don't know how." It was a human who was speaking. "Master, there is something else . . . the attack on the dwarven capital was unsuccessful, and the Rider we captured has also been lost." The man said, then hurriedly ducked and entered the cabin.

"Oh don't worry, Orúm . . . I don't need you anymore." The person, who indeed was Crugan, said. "It's time to end this." He searched for the captains of the ships with his minds, the several spirits working simultaneously. "Head down the River for the capital of humans. There is no need to engage the dragon Riders."

"Good morning dear." Ephian heard as his eyes opened hazily.

He jumped slightly and he saw Elva lying on top of him, but she kissed him, making his head sway slightly. He hugged her then, and rolled over, kissing her even more.

 _Ephian, not the right time, we have to get ready, we are headed for Carvahall in one hour._ Jiarha said in his mind, making him tear away from Elva in surprise.

 _You felt it?_ Ephian asked her.

 _Oh . . . more than just this . . . last night was amazing for you, I suppose, but for me, it was a pain to sleep._ Jiarha muttered.

Ephian realized then both he, and Elva, were still naked from their little adventure last night, and he hurriedly got off, saying, "Last night was great . . . it was amazing, actually."

"It was." Elva said, and stared at him. He raised his eyebrows at her, but she just shrugged and kept staring anyway. He found his clothes and began to pull them on.

"I couldn't, err, ask last night, but how come your eyes are, you know, normal again?" Ephian asked her.

"Eridor did it, he had been working for hours." Elva told him, then got up too. This time, Ephian goggled at her, unable to help it.

"Oh, shove off." She said, and slapped him lightly across the face.

They both dressed and hurried to their dragons. Jiarha and Eridor were both grinning when they arrived, and Ephian couldn't help but blush at the way Eridor was eyeing him. The dragon had become a little over protective of his Rider lately, which was fine with Ephian for the most part.

 _How was it?_ Jiarha asked him, almost laughing.

 _Amazing._ Ephian replied, making her look at him in surprise.

 _Really? I suppose I and Eridor should try it some time._ Jiarha told him, this time making him stare at her in surprise.

 _I thought you are already done with it._ Ephian said and also said, "Ouch!" as her tail hit his leg.

Within a few hours, they had joined the main body of the dwarven army, and were heading towards the city of Furnost, from where they would join forces with the army from Surda, and head for Carvahall. Ephian just hoped they would get there before the enemy showed up on their doorstep.

So Carvahall was getting reinforced with all the Riders, the elven, human and dwarven army headed towards the city. But even with all these forces combined would it be enough to defeat the deadly army that Crugan brought along with him? The Shade looked up from his ship, and smiled as the sky ripped apart into a darker shade as the Lethrblaka caught up with the ships. He smiled because for every ship he brought with him, there were at least two Lethrblaka.

Even the dragons cannot save you now, Alagaesia. Crugan thought, and laughed.


	93. Chapter 92

**Chapter 92: The Prince is awake**

"Where am I? . . . " Angrenost muttered as he regained consciousness. He knew that he was lying on a bed, that he had a blanket over him, and that someone was sitting right next to him. He opened his eyes and looked up at the dazzling marble white ceiling. He was in his castle, he was home. And that every part of his body was aching.

"You went through a lot, Angrenost . . . and you are a hero right now." A voice, which he recognised, told him. He turned to look at the person, and smiled slightly.

"Leliana? I am glad it's you, and not anyone else." Angrenost said, getting into a seating position. But as he moved, his chest hurt, as did his head and back. He groaned then, and asked, "What happened?" she was sitting next to him, on the edge of his bed. She was wearing a simple green dress, her hair were set free and was looking at him with concern.

"You charged at Freohr, and arrows weren't stopping him . . . You jumped at him, and he just knocked you out of the air with his hand." Leliana said, and slowly grabbed his arm, rubbing it as he felt his eyes go wide. "You hit the wall of the castle, and when I got to you, you were already half unconscious . . . you passed out a few seconds later, but Ohen took care of Freohr. He set that monster on fire, but couldn't kill him because he had to check on Nolfavrell."

Angrenost suddenly remembered what had happened, and asked, "Is he alright, he took a really bad hit."

"I am fine, Angrenost." Came a reply from behind him, and looked around to see Nolfavrell with his head bandaged and arm in a sling.

"Ouch . . . that's gonna take a while to heal." Angrenost said, pointing at his hand.

"No its not, neither are your injuries, Angrenost, because my friends, the Riders, are here. I can't use magic right now, in this state, but they sure can, and they will heal us." Nolfavrell smiled at him.

"That's good." Angrenost said, and turned back to Leliana. She nodded at him, but Angrenost noticed something. There were dark shades under her eyes, like she hadn't slept in a while, and her hair were messed and untidy. Her eyes were also slightly puffed and all in all, she looked extremely forlorn.

"What's wrong?" Angrenost asked. She looked up and shook her head. "Tell me, I know that something is bothering you."

"Its Danaher." Leliana said. Angrenost stared at her as she replied, and he felt a tugging sensation in his stomach. Something was egging him on to ask more, learn more about her, and for a while, he almost hoped that the two of them had fallen apart in some way or the other.

"What? You two fought again?" Angrenost joked, and she looked up at him. Angrenost lost his mood for joking as he saw her eyes fill up with tears. "No . . . you didn't, then why-"

"He's dead, that's why!" Leliana shouted at him, silencing him and making Nolfavrell look up ins surprise. Angrenost stared at her as she averted her eyes from his, and made to get up and leave, but he grabbed her hand tightly and stopped her. Instead, he slid his legs off the bed and sat on its edge, and pulled her close to him, as her eyes welled up tears.

Nolfavrell appeared to the side, and raised his eyebrows at him as if to say, "What's going on?"

Angrenost just held her supportively, knowing that she wouldn't like it if he told Nolfavrell. At least, he couldn't say anything right now, "Later." He muttered to him. Nolfavrell nodded, and returned to his bed.

Angrenost himself had felt a stab in his heart, just moments before he had been knocked out. His father was now dead, he had been killed right in front of Angrenost, who had been helpless to save the king. As Angrenost listened to Leliana cry, he cried too, deep within himself. He knew that he couldn't fall to his grief, not with all that had happened. He knew that the people would now look up to him with respect, and expect things from him which he wasn't sure if he could give. Angrenost shook his head then, deciding to deal with those problems when they came. All those things could wait, he had a someone who needed him. Someone who was now far more important to him than just a friend.

"Hey . . . listen to me." Angrenost said after several minutes. She rubbed her eyes and let go, sitting next to him. He placed his hand on hers, which she grabbed with both her hands. "I know this is hard, very hard. But you should ask yourself this . . . Would he want you to repent like this? Or would he want you to get back up and be strong for others?"

Leliana sniffed, "I don't know . . . I can't be strong, Angrenost, my very heart has been taken away."

"Don't say that, you are exaggerating, you know that." Angrenost told her, and she looked at him in surprise. "Listen to me . . . he wouldn't want you to beat yourself up over this, he would want you to be strong and be brave, like you always are. He would want you to pay him the respects he is due, and show him that you miss him, but you can live without him because others need you."

"Who needs me? Angrenost so many people have died in my life . . . my parents, Heslant, and now Danaher." Leliana told him. "Who else remains?"

"I remain, I need you . . . I have lost a father, I am to be the king . . . I can't do this alone, Leliana, and I am going to need the support of a friend." Angrenost told her, his grief speaking for him. And as he said those words, he knew that the only person he needed at that moment was the very woman he was comforting.

Leliana stared at him, and jumped as the door suddenly opened. She looked around, and Angrenost looked over her head, and was astounded yet delighted to see none other than the Lead Rider, Eragon Kingslayer, walk in and smile at him, along with the other important Riders, like Murtagh Rider of Thorn, and Nasuada, Rider of Draumr. There was someone else with them, another elf, whom Angrenost didn't recognize, but he placed a hand around Leliana's shoulder then, asking her to stay with him.

"Good to see that you are up again, Angrenost." Eragon said, and smiled at Nolfavrell. "Come here, I can fix that for you." He said, gesturing at the Rider's hand. Angrenost stared at him, and watched as Nasuada came to him took a look at his head.

"What is your name?" She asked Leliana in a soothing voice.

"Leliana . . ." She replied, and nodded as Nasuada asked her to seat on the chair next to the bed.

"How do you feel, Angrenost? I heard you took a really horrible hit." Nasuada said, looking at him from head to toe.

"I feel fine, although my head aches, and I have trouble moving because of my chest and back." He replied.

"That will heal on its own, Prince, you need not worry. By tomorrow, you will feel much better." Murtagh put in, coming next to Nasuada.

Angrenost nodded at them, and got up unsteadily. He was wearing cotton pants, and soft linen shirt, which was open. He could see that there was no damage to his own chest, but the muscles ached as he moved. He shrugged, and Leliana came to his side, saying, "I better go, Angrenost . . . this seems out of my league."

Angrenost nodded, "I . . . where will you be?" He didn't want her to leave, he wanted her to stay right there, with him.

"I don't know Angrenost, I don't have a place to stay." Leliana told him.

Angrenost didn't want to tell her to go to his room and stay there, so he said, "I'll find you, till then I think you can stay in the guest accommodations on the fourth floor."

"It's burnt apart." Nolfavrell said.

"Oh . . . Well, there a lot of empty rooms on the next floor, you can go there." Angrenost told her, and she smiled slightly.

"I'll find a room, Angrenost, don't worry about me." Leliana said, and left, walking past the elf, who was quietly watching him. Angrenost watched her go, feeling a little empty as she left, then noticed the new elf and how the elf looked. He stared at him, and the elf smiled.

"Greetings, Prince." He spoke in a gentle yet powerful voice. Angrenost realized that this elf was not someone he would want to be enemies with, and that the elf hadn't been around for that long. At least, he gave off a feeling that he was important, at the same time that he had come from somewhere else. But what the elf said next blew Angrenost away, "I am Eragon the first, and it's good to see you are back in good health."

Angrenost and Nolfavrell both gaped at him, Angrenost couldn't even think how he could reply, "W-Who?"

Eragon just smiled, "Yes, the very first Rider."

Angrenost was startled, but he forced himself to say, "Welcome . . . back to Alagaesia then."

Eragon the First nodded, "Thank you. Alagaesia has changed a lot, but not so much that I wouldn't have recognised it."

"We need to talk Angrenost, and this is serious." Murtagh cut in. Eragon came and stood next to Murtagh, as did Nasuada. Angrenost stared at them, they were his family, the only family he had left, but they were all supposed to be his great-great grandfathers and mothers or something like that. "There is a war coming . . . a much larger war than any we have fought before in these hundred years."

"I . . . thought I just ended it." Angrenost said, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, that was just the beginning, my good man. The elves and dwarves have also been attacked, as you know. Ellesmera has been taken, but Tronjheim is safe. Carvahall is not." Eragon said. "I returned from Alalea just some time ago, and I can tell you . . . the person Freohr serves is currently headed for this very city. This will be where he strikes first, because it's a main city . . . and the complete powers of his armies will break down upon us."

"And then, he will swiftly move past the city and head for another, not bothering to stop." Eragon the First added. "I have seen it . . . before, I know how he plans his attacks. His army will just sweep through Carvahall, doing more damage than any normal battle would, and he will most probably head for the desert, or for the forest . . . We will have to give chase."

Angrenost stared at them all, his head was beginning to spin with all the things that he was being told, and he raised his hands, "I . . . am having a hard time keeping up, but this news of a greater force coming towards us . . . is horrible, if I'd be dammed!" Eragon smiled as Angrenost got to his feet and looked around, "In normal circumstances I would have been shocked out of my wits . . . Freohr escaped, he will be reunited with our enemies, they will come for us together, and we must stop them. Great! Now I feel shocked out of my wits . . . do we have the man power?"

"Yes, elven armies are coming our way to help, as are the dwarven and the remaining human armies. I am yet to contact the Urgals and wild dragons, but they will be here, I am sure of it." Eragon said.

"First I have a question, Freohr . . . what is he? One moment, he was like any other man, but the next moment he has changed to a tall, and huge monster." Angrenost said.

Eragon the First stared at him for a while, then turned to see everyone else staring at him as well, he sighed. "He is a Rauthr Reona, or a Reaper of Misfortune. People like him are meant to be monsters . . . he is half shade, half human. This gives him abilities far different from either. While he can fight like any human, better than most, he can change his form, which is not under his control. When he loses control of himself, he becomes what you faced."

Angrenost stared at him with wide eyes, then shook his head, grinning slightly. "So if I want to kill him, I should do it before he loses his mind?"

"Yes." Eragon the First simply replied.

"Brother, the wild dragons can be anywhere, how will you contact them?" Murtagh asked.

"We will need to send someone to them, and ask for their help . . . Nolfavrell, can you and Ohen do that?" Eragon asked them.

Nolfavrell didn't reply immediately, then said, "I suppose so, Ohen seems pretty excited about it."

"Good. Angrenost, come downstairs when you feel better, there is a . . . funeral, which the people decided they will begin only after you wake up." Murtagh said, and smiled at Angrenost, who raised his eyebrows. "You saved their lives, Prince, they love you."

The courtyard of the castle was filled with people standing around the bodies of their loved ones. The dead bodies of the brave soldiers of Carvahall had been placed in lines around the gardens, while their families stood and wept around them. There were cases of missing soldiers, but those were few. For the most part, it was an extremely gloomy atmosphere.

Angrenost entered the courtyard, wearing a cloak in the chilly night. He wore the crown that he had always worn as a Prince, and watched everyone. Today, for the first time, he didn't want to be the Prince. He wanted to be a normal person, he wanted to mourn like a normal person. He took off his crown then, and placed it in his pocket, and searched the crowd. He was looking for Leliana, and sure enough, he spotted her after several minutes of searching, and headed for her.

She was kneeling next to Danaher's dead body, his eyes were closed, arms on his chest, but his face had a horrible cut. He had been killed by a sword thrust right to his face. Angrenost stared at him, then at Leliana who had not noticed him yet. She wasn't crying, she was just . . . lost in her own thoughts. Angrenost gave her a moment, then crouched next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She looked around slowly, and nodded. Angrenost didn't say anything, but instead he pulled her to her feet, and held her close, saying, "We need each other right now . . . we have both lost loved ones . . . don't turn yourself into an empty shell, because you are the only person who can keep me sane."

Leliana didn't reply immediately, but just stood there, in his arms. Her own hands were stiff and not moving. Her face was cold. "How long have you been outside?" Angrenost asked her as he felt how cold her hand was.

"I don't know . . . but his face, its . . . its-" Leliana broke off and buried her face in his chest. Angrenost didn't reply, but he shuddered as he felt her cold hands wrap around his bare neck. They stood like that for several minutes, until Leliana regained control of herself. "I-I don't want to see him like . . . like this, but I-I don't w-want to leave him e-either . . . I w-will never see him again."

"I know . . . but don't cause yourself undue pain . . . doing this will just make it harder for you, and you know that." Angrenost muttered to her, and began to let go, but she didn't want him to. She just kept holding him tightly.

"Don't . . ." She said as he tried to pull her hands away. "Just some more time, please."

Angrenost didn't reply, but obeyed and ran his hand through her brown hair. He looked around as he did, and sure enough, to the right he spotted a raised platform. That was the very place where Roran, his queen and all the other kings and queens who had departed had been buried. Angrenost realized that his parents were finally together again.

"I must see my father one last time . . . he has been buried there . . . come with me." Angrenost said, and without waiting for a reply, and he began to walk with his arm around her shoulders, taking her along with him.

Leliana looked up at him then, but she didn't say anything. Angrenost knew what she was thinking, he had lost a loved one too in the battle, they were both on the same boat. They could help each other out of this. Angrenost was silent too as he neared the platform. The platform was actually the place below which the king would be buried, and on top of it a statue of the king would be made. Roran and the others already stood there, the old king holding aloft his fabled hammer of victory.

Orothrim was lying on the platform which would hold his own statue, wearing azure robes which glistened in the starlight. Angrenost stared at his dead father, and for a while, he couldn't feel much of anything. He couldn't feel Leliana, who had let go off him, but was still holding his hand. He couldn't feel the atmosphere of grief of which he was now a part. He could only feel his own heart beating, his soul lamenting the loss of both his parents, who had now left him to lead a country at war with an unknown force.

His mother he had lost as a very young man, at the age of fifteen, due to a disease which no one managed to cure. Eragon could have saved her, but by the time he reached from Carvahall, she had already been lost. His father and he, both had been left for each other, deprived of the person they loved the most. And now, Angrenost had lost his father as well, and now had to shoulder responsibilities that he thought were too big for him.

"This is not right." Angrenost muttered after several minutes, and slowly slid to his knees next to Orothrim, whose eyes were closed. "This wasn't supposed to happen . . . I was supposed to live a happy and peaceful life, my father was supposed to die a peaceful death . . . this can't be happening."

Leliana didn't reply, but sat down next to him. They were both struck at their hearts with the loss of their loved ones. Leliana didn't know what she could possibly say to make Angrenost feel better; she herself was still dealing with Danaher's death. Angrenost was lost in his own thoughts now, wondering what he was going to do, and how he was going to do it.

They sat there for a very long time, until Leliana finally said, "I should have realized sooner that we were both going through the same obstacles."

Angrenost shook his head, "Don't worry about it now . . . But if you don't have anything else to do, then please, stay with me. I really need you, now more than ever."

Leliana stared at him, "What are you talking about?"

"There is a war coming . . . and I am supposed to be the Prince who leads his people against this war. I don't even know if I am ready for this." Angrenost told her.

She didn't reply immediately, but placed an arm around his shoulders and pulled him to his feet along with her. Angrenost followed her lead without question, and turned as she placed a hand on his cheek. Her hand was still cold, but he didn't shudder this time, "You saved many lives Angrenost, you are the hero of the Broddring kingdom. You did the impossible when you escaped Freohr, you did the most courageous thing when you charged at him like that . . . no one else would have done what you did."

"The arrows that hit him . . . you shot them, didn't you?' Angrenost asked her. She smiled and nodded. "And when I fell, you came to my side?"

"Yes, it was me . . ." Leliana told him. "And you don't need to thank me, I am sure you would have done the same for me."

Angrenost smiled at her then, and side by side, they walked back towards the crowd. Angrenost pulled out the crown from his pocket and placed it on his own head, and climbed up the stairs to the gate of the castle. He then turned around for everyone to see him. Leliana stood a little ahead of the others, and smiled at him. Angrenost nodded back, but the gate behind him opened, and Eragon emerged from within.

"Go ahead, Angrenost, make them proud." Eragon muttered, motioning towards the statues of the old kings.

"I will." Angrenost replied, and raised his voice for the entire courtyard to listen. "My fellows . . . hear me."

There was silence in the courtyard within moments, "My father.' Angrenost continued. "He was a great man, a great king . . . he knew the importance of safety and unity, which is what he taught me. I regret and grieve his death . . . But we cannot stop now, because believe me, what Carvahall went through was just the beginning. Another force threatens us, and it is headed towards us as we speak. Carvahall is the only thing that stands between our freedom, and complete annihilation."

Angrenost spread his hands then, as people gathered closer around the castle steps, "But we are not alone in this. The elves, dwarves, and the rest of our fellow men are on their way to help us . . . We can still win this battle, my friends. But what I ask of you is not something I would ask unless it threatened the existence of our children, our grandchildren! What I ask of you is . . . your skills, your strength and your loyalty to protect our freedom, our truth, our future!"

When he ended, there was complete uproar of yells and shouts, "We will kill them all!", "they won't touch us!" and many more which Angrenost didn't catch. Instead, he beckoned to Leliana, and went inside the castle with her, following Eragon and the others.


	94. Chapter 93

**Chapter 93: A surprising idea**

"A couple more hours, your highness, then we will have reached Carvahall." An elf told Vaelia, who nodded and thanked him.

Deaother was next to her, and he just nodded at her as she placed at an arm around his shoulders. "Great, I suppose."

They had been travelling for four days, and had passed the city of Ceunon the previous day. Now, they were walking near the foothills of the mountains which neighbored Carvahall. Deaother had been quiet for the most part throughout the journey, keeping himself to himself, and partly to Valinor. Vaelia was worried about him, but there wasn't much she could do. She was the only thing keeping him and Valinor from flying off towards Carvahall and trying to save Arya. But for the past few days, his way of speaking and his behavior was beginning to annoy her.

"Will you at least try to talk to me properly? I am trying to make you feel better." Vaelia told him, letting go of his shoulders.

Deaother looked up at her, "I know, but I . . . I am just not in the right state of mind."

Vaelia stared at him for a long, hard minute, then shook her head, "I'll leave you to it then. Get a better state of mind before you come to talk to me, otherwise don't bother." And stormed off, not even looking back.

Deaother sighed. _Now, I feel lonely._

 _Well, I am here._ Valinor muttered.

 _No, you are up there._ Deaother corrected him, and looked up at the sky to see him gliding lazily along with the other dragons.

 _Yes, and I can see you. You are bothered that Vaelia is upset, yes?_ Valinor said.

 _Of course I am!_ Deaother replied.

 _Then go and apologise to her. Anyone would feel upset if all their tries to sooth someone were in vain._ Valinor told him. _Go talk to her._

Deaother didn't reply, but just heeded the dragon's advice. He walked past several elves, looking for her. The army was still marching, the elves were moving extremely fast. It took a while for him to get past the armored elves and find her, and he smiled slightly when he did. She was now marching along with the lords and ladies of the council.

"Vaelia?" Deaother muttered as he got close to her.

"Oh, you are in your right mind again?" Vaelia asked him, her eyebrows raised.

"Yes, I sure am." Deaother said, and began to walk with her. "And listen . . . thank you, for helping me. I know I wasn't the person you wanted by your side, but I am that person now."

"Are you sure?" Vaelia asked him, her fingers running down his cheek.

"Sure." Deaother replied.

"That's nice then." Vaelia said, and he put an arm around her. "I was worried about you Deaother. Are you still blaming yourself?"

"No, I am not . . . it just feels, I don't know, I feel guilty because I should be going in the opposite direction." Deaother said.

"I would be surprised if you didn't feel that way, but you made the choice . . . you can't change that now, so just go with it." Vaelia told him.

"As you say, my Queen." Deaother joked.

"At this rate, we will reach the city after the battle has started." Ephian said.

The dwarven had camped at the banks of Lake Tudosten, at the tip of which they would join forces with the armies from Surda, the following day. It was night time, and Ephian was lying next to Elva, staring up at the stars.

"Don't be so sure. We got the message just three days ago, I am sure we can afford some more time." Elva said.

"It could take weeks to get there. I am surprised that we covered this much distance in three days." Ephian said.

"It's not like the dwarves were walking on foot." Elva said, and Ephian nodded. She was right, they had not been walking on foot, they had been riding ponies and feldunost, while Ephian and Elva had been with their dragons, crawling alongside in the huge tunnels. And now, everyone was resting, they had covered a great distance.

Ephian turned to his side, and stared at Elva, who was still looking up at the stars. "This is the second battle I am going to be a part of . . . I had hoped that it wouldn't come to this again."

"Me too, but we can't change that now, can we?" Ephian ran his up hers, till her shoulder, then down again.

"Let us change the outcome of the battle then, what say you?' Elva turned to the side again, staring at him.

"Sure, sweetheart, we will." Ephian joked, and kissed her forehead.

"Can we, err . . ." Elva began, running a hand across his chest. Ephian stared at her, and she stared at him back. "Can we do what did three nights ago?"

Ephian raised his eyebrows in surprise, "And give these tired dwarves a show? I think not."

"Please? Let us find some place-"

"Elva!" Ephian exclaimed.

To the side, Jiarha and Eridor were sniggering. Ephian eyed them with irritation, and suddenly had to tackle Elva, who jumped onto him. He grabbed her by the waist and put her down next to him. But she didn't stop, and got to her knees. He made to get up as well, but she forced him down. Ephian gasped, again surprised at her strength.

"How are you so strong?" Ephian asked her.

"I don't exactly know . . . but its good for me, isn't it?" Elva said, now sitting on top of him.

"Elva, please, now is not the right time . . . please, think for a while." Ephian said. Elva just smiled and pointed her hand at a blanket, which flew to them and landed over them.

"That will help." Elva said.

"No!" Ephian replied, and tried to lift her by the waist again, but Elva grabbed both his hands and forced them on the ground above his head, her face right above his.

"You don't have much choice, do you?" Elva asked him, and kissed his left cheek.

"Now I am telling you to please think-" Ephian began as she kissed his right cheek, and was forced to stop when she kissed him in the lips.

They kissed again after that, and Ephian felt heat grow in his face, which was why he pulled his arms free and pushed Elva to the side, and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her with her hands in between them. "I win . . ."

"Not exactly, darling.' Elva said, and her hand ran down his chest, stomach and crushed something with her knuckles when her hand couldn't go down any longer. Ephian felt a shock go through him, and he let go off her, hurriedly backing off. But she was laughing, "This is a major weakness."

Ephian raised his hands hurriedly as she made to hit him again, "Alright! You win . . . just stop hurting me . . . there!"

Elva stopped then, and grinning, she hugged him, "You are unbelievably entertaining Ephian, you know that?"

Ephian just sighed, he could still feel the pain going through him. _Like I had a choice!_

"So this Rider, Galbatorix, did he know about Crugan?" Eragon the First asked. Eragon turned to him, then.

They were in the reception hall of Carvahall, seated next to the windows. Murtagh was there, as was Nasuada. Saphira and Thorn were together somewhere in the Spines, while Draumr was checking if Ohen knew how to address the wild dragons. He and Nolfavrell were going to set out for the job Eragon had given them that very day.

"He did, which was surprising to me." Eragon replied. "He told me about this threat first, though I knew something about it from before. Apparently, Durza wanted to overthrow him, using me, and clear a path for Crugan's return."

"Sounds like something Crugan would plan. This would have taken him away from me, as I wasn't didn't have enough influence to give him chase then. Two hundred years changes a lot." Eragon the First smiled.

"I guess it indeed does . . . although I am not two hundred years old yet." Eragon said.

"You are the youngest Lead Rider, Eragon, and yet you are just as wise as the rest." Eragon the First told him.

"With all the knowledge and wisdom Vrael sent my way, I don't think I could remain a fool." Eragon joked.

"True." Eragon the First said, and looked out of the window. Bid'daum was flying around above the city, pleased to return to his birthland.

"I have sent several dragon Riders to Doru Araeba, and the western edge of the Spine, to keep an eye out. If they see Crugan's armies, we will find out immediately." Eragon said.

They were silent for some time, until Nolfavrell showed up. He greeted Eragon and Eragon the First, and then asked, "I . . . don't know where we should go to find those dragons. They can be anywhere."

Eragon just grinned, "Head east, between the Haradac Desert and Du Weldenvarden, they are bound to be there somewhere. They will have just begun heading for Du Fells Nángoröth now."

Nolfavrell nodded, and left the room then. Eragon the First then stood up, saying, "I have to go find . . . Gilderien."

"Are you sure?' Eragon asked him, getting to his feet as well.

"He is my father, Eragon . . . I have to talk to him about things that have happened." Eragon the First said.

"It seems to me that he doesn't want to see you." Eragon told him.

"I have to try." Eragon the First shrugged, and walked off. Eragon watched him go, then walked over to Murtagh, who had his head on Nasuada's shoulder.

"You look tired." Eragon told him, sitting in front of them.

"A little . . ." Murtagh replied. "But how are you? Arya's capture and everything must be, well, hard for you."

"It is." Eragon replied with a heavy voice. "But my hands are tied, I can't do anything until and unless this battle is over."

"You don't seem sad.' Nasuada added.

"I am not showing it, that's all . . . the Riders need to see me ready, which I am." Eragon said. But Nasuada and Murtagh both stood up and sat down on either sides of him.

"Stop being an idiot . . . you are planning something, and we know that." Nasuada said, placing her hand on his, while Murtagh just smiled at him.

"You two, I am not planning anything." Eragon said.

"Say it in the Ancient Language, brother, and then we will see." Murtagh said.

Eragon stared at him, then shook his head, "Fine you got me, I am planning something."

"There you are, see Murtagh, we are good at interrogating people." Nasuada said, laughing. Murtagh grinned at her.

"Look, I have not decided anything yet, and you two will obviously tell me that I am stupid, so I think I will keep this to myself." Eragon said, beginning to get up, but Murtagh and Nasuada both grabbed him and pulled him down.

"Tell us first, only then can we tell you if it's crazy or not." Murtagh said.

"Fine, I will." Eragon said, and looked at both of them. "Crugan is coming here and well . . . he is in every sense more powerful than me, and Eragon the First. But that's not a problem, because, well, we have Deaother."

"What?" Nasuada and Murtagh both asked.

"Deaother, he is as powerful as Crugan." Eragon said, making Murtagh raise his eyebrows, and Nasuada get a genuine look of worry.

"You don't get it, but I know about the powers he has. He can control all the natural elements. As of now, he can only control five, but there is a sixth one which most don't know about." Eragon told them.

"What is that?" Murtagh asked him.

"Space." Eragon replied.

"As in?" Nasuada asked.

"Space means everything that occupies . . . well, space." Eragon said.

"He can push or pull anything that occupies space?" Murtagh asked.

"More than that, he can change it, mold it, shatter it, change the way it looks . . . pretty much everything we need the Ancient Language to do." Eragon replied.

"You mean he can use magic without using energy?" Murtagh asked him in surprise.

"Exactly." Eragon replied.

"Does he know how to, yet?" Nasuada asked.

"No . . . but I am sure he will figure it out soon." Eragon said. "Not that it has anything to do with defeating Crugan, of course, he can do that the way he is now."

A splash of cool water fell against her face, and she woke up sputtering and gasping. The first she noticed was that her hands were tied together above her, and her legs were tied together below her. The second thing that she noticed was that her armor had been removed, and that her clothes were torn and tattered. She could feel something cold on her bare feet and legs, which were covered from knee above. Her hands were bare up to her shoulders, and her belly was bare too.

"Arya Shadeslayer . . . I can't believe you managed to kill a Shade, a pathetic mess that you are." A snide voice said.

Arya looked up, her vision was blurry, her hair were wet, as was her face and the rest of her body. But she blinked twice to see Zar'rac in front of her. She was in a room which seemed extremely familiar. A very small window to the left of the room was letting in sunlight.

"How does it feel to be a prisoner in your own home?" Zar'rac asked her, and with a start she realized that she was in the Tialdari Hall, in the room which had belonged to one of her very old friends.

Faolin . . . This is his room. Arya thought, and closed her eyes. For the last hundred years or so, she had hardly thought of Faolin. It made her feel guilty, but there was nothing for it. And now, when she found herself in his room, tied by her hands and legs to what seemed to be a wooden pole, multitudes of emotions swept across her.

"So, this is where you are going to be . . . and I am going to visit you everyday . . . give you something to think about." Zar'rac smirked as he ran a hand down her waist. Arya stared at him with loathing, and began to reach into her mind for magic, but suddenly found herself stopped.

"Oh no, you don't." Zar'rac said, and grinned. "I am in your mind, I can block from going there, isn't this nice?"

"What do you want?" She asked him as he pressed his stomach with his finger.

"I want to exploit this perfect opportunity that you present me." Zar'rac said and his hand journeyed up. Arya clenched her teeth as he felt his hands run up her body up to her shoulder. "You are the one person that the Lead Rider will give his life for, other than your son, who is more trouble than help."

"I don't understand you." Arya muttered through clenched teeth. He placed his hand on her cheek, then touched her lips.

"You are going to insure that we will win." He smiled. Arya shook her head to throw away his fingers, which were beginning to enter her mouth. Zar'rac stared at her for a moment, then placed both his hand on her bare waist. She shuddered as he touched her. "You are my prisoner, and you are going to act accordingly. If I want to touch you, I touch you . . . If I want to hurt you, I hurt you, and there is no bloody thing that you can do about it."

"You can't kill me, you will lose what less chance you have." Arya told him, trying to say it in an intimidating way.

Zar'rac just laughed then, and placed his hands on her face. "As I said, something to think about." He let go then, and walked out of the room, muttering a word so that the ropes fell lose. Arya fell to the ground on her hands and knees, and he walked out with a sneer, locking the door behind him.

Angrenost yawned mightily as he woke up. Stretching, he got up and washed his face from the basin that held cool water. He looked around the huge room and sighed. It was the very room where he had been living since he had been a child. The place was the same, but it didn't seem the same without his father. Angrenost walked out of the room then, he was bare chested.

As soon as he walked out, he saw Leliana there, near the window, drying her hair with a towel. She was wearing a white cotton dress, which seemed a little small. Angrenost stared at her, then hurriedly turned away, even though he felt like just watching her for some more time. But she noticed him.

"It's alright Angrenost, you aren't exactly properly dressed either." Leliana said, smiling.

"Alright." Angrenost said, and pulled out a shirt, which he hurriedly pulled on and buttoned up. Leliana stared at him, and walked towards him.

"You look much better than yesterday, had a good night I suppose." Leliana said.

"I did . . . How is the room?" Angrenost asked.

They were sharing quarters, Angrenost's room had an adjoining one which was right outside his own. It was meant for his mother. "It is very nice." Leliana said. The room had several cushions and sofas, a table in the center, and a bed below a window, from which bright sunlight was streaming in.

"Thank you, Angrenost." Leliana said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Angrenost smiled at her then, and she smiled back. "So, what are you going to do?" He asked her as she walked off, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Angrenost sat down on one of the sofas and stare at her. He could see her legs a little above her knees, and his ears went warm and red when he noticed it, and hurriedly looked up.

"Get a new set of armor, and more arrows." Leliana told him.

Angrenost stared at her, "For the battle?"

"Yes . . . why?" Leliana asked, eyebrows raised.

"I was just curious . . . I am not going to tell to not fight, don't worry, just be careful." Angrenost told her.

"You be careful, you nearly got killed in the last battle." Leliana said, getting up and walking to a trunk.

"That . . . let's not talk about it." Angrenost said, and had to stop himself from staring as she bent down to search the trunk. She pulled out a bright red dress, and stared at him expectantly. "Right, I'll go to my room, tell me when you are done."

Leliana nodded as he left.

Several floors below, a mirror shimmered, and showed an elf with the ocean in the background. Within moments, the important Riders had been alerted and they entered the room, staring at her.

"Ebrithil, they are coming!" She said, making both the Eragons get a deep frown on their faces.


	95. Chapter 94

**Chapter 94: Welcome to the Elves**

"How far are the elven forces?" Eragon asked, hurrying towards the Reception Hall.

"Less than two hours." Murtagh replied, walking with him, along with Nasuada, Angrenost and the other elders of the council.

"And what about the dwarven armies? How long with they take?" Angrenost asked them.

"Another week, at least." Nasuada replied. Angrenost stared at her for a while, then turned to Eragon.

"I know what you're going through Angrenost, and if you feel like panicking, don't. All of us are here." Eragon assured him.

Angrenost nodded, although his expression didn't change in the least. Eragon turned away from him, and asked Murtagh, "The Urgal?"

"Any time today." Murtagh smiled.

"And the dragons? Has Nolfavrell contacted us so far?" Eragon said as they entered the Reception Hall.

"No, nothing yet." Nasuada replied.

"Great, so we have the human army that Angrenost gathered, along with the elite of Carvahall . . . what remain of them anyway . . . we have the entire elven army, and we have another huge army of Urgals coming in . . . but we need the rest of the humans, the dwarves and the dragons." Eragon summarized, and gestured to Angrenost to head for the Throne.

"What we are going to do next is something of utmost importance, Angrenost." Murtagh began, leading Angrenost down the huge and wide room. "When the elven army arrives here, their lords are going to expect a grand welcome. And you are the one who is going to give them that."

"Me?" Angrenost asked him with raised eyebrows.

"Yes. You are the Prince, and the Hero of the Broddring Kingdom, there is no one else more suitable." Eragon said.

"What should I say?" Angrenost asked him.

"What the governors say when they welcome you to the city, especially when you are there to inspect the city." Murtagh told him. "Because we need to repair this city, and the elves and Riders together can use magic to do that, but if they help, it will be much faster."

"Accommodations will be a problem, but I am pretty they must have figured that out themselves, so they will probably have to make camp outside the city." Eragon said.

"The Urgal will have the same problem." Murtagh told him.

"And they will be given the same solution." Eragon replied.

"Dragons?" Murtagh asked him.

"They will have to figure something out. I don't think the courtyards of Carvahall can occupy all of them." Eragon answered.

"Just stop, wait!" Angrenost said, holding both his hands up. Eragon and Murtagh both turned to him with eyebrows raised. "Both of you are my great, grandfathers, and you are both making my head spin . . . What, I the name of Galbatorix's bloody nose am I supposed to do?"

"Its funny how I never found using Galbatorix's name as a famous way of swearing quite appealing . . . but anyway, Angrenost, you are supposed to welcome the elves, the urgals, the men and dwarves when they arrive, and of course, you have to welcome the dragons." Eragon told him, and patted him on the shoulder. "And don't call me a grandfather, it's really unpleasant . . . and preferably, have a beautiful lady by your side while you are welcoming the guests, makes them a bit more comfortable."

"And where do I get a beautiful lady?" Angrenost asked him.

"That's up to you, we have more pressing matters to attend to . . .come on, you are a prince, a hero, and you are young. There should be someone in your mind." Murtagh said.

Angrenost stared at him. "You are right, it is up to me . . . I'll think about it." And then, he just nodded at both of them and strolled off.

Eragon watched the prince go with a look of worry. "Are we expecting a little too much of this young fellow? He just lost his father, and had his home attacked, almost ravaged."

"There was a lot more expected of us when we were his age." Murtagh replied.

"True. But those were different times." Eragon replied.

"This is not that much different, the humans need a leader, he is going to have to step up to the throne." Murtagh answered, and they both turned to the golden seat behind them, where their brother, Roran, had once sat. "And I am sure he will go great."

Angrenost hurried into the Royal chambers, and entered the room which Leliana was using. She was awake and sitting there, and stood up when he entered. "What happened? You left so suddenly." She said, and he stared at her, a little happy that she had stayed up and was waiting for him.

She was wearing a sleeveless white cotton dress, probably the one she had been wearing while sleeping. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and she had a genuine look of concern. Angrenost suddenly got an idea, which he thought would solve one of the problems he was going to have.

"Freohr's master, Crugan, he and his entire force has been spotted. They are headed towards us as we speak." Angrenost said, sitting down on one of the sofas. Leliana sat down in front of him, her hands joint by intertwined fingers and placed on her knees and she leaned forward, her eyebrow tensing. "Oh no . . . how much time do we have?"

"Less than a week." Angrenost replied, and suddenly realized, that the elven army would reach any time. He had to be ready to address them, which meant that he had to look fine. But he also needed someone by his side, someone beautiful. Angrenost knew that Leliana was the only one whom he could ask for help, but something stopped him from asking. It was a tugging feeling inside his stomach again, which was holding him back.

"Err . . . Leliana, I need a little help." Angrenost said, and stood up and sat a little nearer to her. She began to listen intently then. "I . . . I have to welcome the elven lords when they and their army reach Carvahall, and I . . ."

"You need help with a speech?" Leliana asked.

"No . . ." Angrenost shook his head.

"Help with choosing the right clothes?" Leliana asked again, this time a small smile on her face. She was joking. He smiled back, and slowly went closer to her and grabbed her hand in his own. She stiffened as their shoulders brushed and Angrenost looked into her eyes.

"I . . . need you to be by my side." Angrenost said finally.

"I don't understand." Leliana said.

"I need you to . . . be with me when I welcome the elven lords . . ." Angrenost told her.

Leliana stared at him, then narrowed her eyes and stared at him sharply. "As in, as a servant or-"

"No! Hell no! No, as a . . . well, as a royalty." Angrenost said, and stared at her in the eyes.

"You want me to be . . . a princess? Who stands next to the prince, while he welcomes the great elven lords, whom hardly some humans have seen before?" Leliana asked him in a little shrill voice.

"I do . . . will you, please, do this?" Angrenost asked her, grabbing her hand with both his own. "Please?"

"Do I get to choose the dress?" Leliana asked him, her eyebrows rising.

"Whichever you want." Angrenost replied.

"Will I get to keep it?" Leliana asked next.

"Of course." Angrenost answered with a smile.

"And last thing . . . why me?" Leliana asked, now closing down on his so that they were face to face, her eyes boring into his.

"Well, because . . ."Angrenost stopped. He couldn't tell her that there wasn't anyone else he could ask for help, that would ruin everything he had done so far. So he decided to play a little different this time. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you are . . . very beautiful." Angrenost said, and smiled. "And you will look . . . breathtaking in a royal dress. The presence of a beautiful lady, such as you, ensures comfort and ease for the guests."

Leliana stared at him, and slowly her face broke into a wide smile, "I'll do it, because you are so nice and sweet, Angrenost." She reached forward and hugged him then. "Thank you."

"Thank you, not me." Angrenost hesitated, then kissed her on the cheek. She didn't seem to mind it. "Another thing." Angrenost said as she made to get up. "You will need to be with me, for the same reason, when the leaders and troops of the other races also arrive."

"I will be there . . . I always dreamed of being a royalty!" Leliana exclaimed. "Come on! Where can I find the dresses?"

* * *

"Carvahall! It has been a while since I have been here." Deaother said as the elven army entered the city. Vaelia placed her head on his shoulder and he brushed her hair.

The army was greeted by an extremely loud roar as a huge, sapphire blue dragoness landed in front of them. "Saphira!" Deaother shouted, and Vaelia let go off him as he hurried towards the dragon.

Nice to see you, Deaother. Saphira said, nodding at him, and looking at the rest of the elves. Eragon jumped off her and spread his arms in welcome to Deaother and the elves.

"Look at you, a completely different person now." Eragon smiled and hugged him. "And where is your mate?"

"Father, she is the queen as well, so . . ." Deaother muttered, but Eragon clapped his back and stood in front of the army.

"Welcome to Carvahall, Elves of Du Weldenvarden." Eragon spoke in the Ancient Language, and was greeted by the Lords and Ladies of the Council. Vaelia greeted him as well, to which Eragon responded properly. "As you can see, the city has already suffered one attack, and it is going to be the victim of yet another one . . . In this condition, I must, regretfully, ask you to camp outside the city. I and the other Riders are doing much the same, although we seldom return to the camp unless at night. There is lot of work to be done here, lots of preparations to be made before we face the assault, and I shall need aid from you all."

Deaother grabbed Vaelia's arm and pulled her towards Saphira, who looked at Vaelia. _Greetings, Queen Vaelia._

"Greetings." Vaelia said uncertainly, while Deaother just smiled at her.

 _So, you and Deaother are mates. I must congratulate you, Vaelia, because I don't think he would ever have confessed his feelings. You are lucky._ Saphira told her, and winked.

"Hey!" Deaother said, while Vaelia looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Err . . ." Deaother stammered and turned away.

 _Humor him, he is a little shy about earlier times._ Saphira said, and watched as the Elven army turned around and headed back out of the gates. The Lords and Ladies of the council followed Eragon who lead them towards Castle.

"I guess we should-" Vaelia began to say but her voice was drowned as two extremely loud roars rent the air. Everyone looked up to see Valinor flying towards Draumr. Vaelia smiled, as did Deaother.

 _I guess Draumr will be a lot happier now._ Saphira, then took off.

"Come on." Deaother said, grabbing Vaelia's hand and leading her towards the Castle.

They caught up with Eragon and the others, and Eragon smiled at the both of them, saying, "You do have courage, Deaother, most people wouldn't even ask someone so beautiful because of the fear of being rejected."

Vaelia blushed slightly, but Deaother just grinned and put an arm around her. He let go after a moment, feeling the eyes of the Lords and Ladies on them. Vaelia must have realized it too, because she didn't say anything.

"And how much time did you take to muster the courage, Deaother?" Eragon asked him, patting his shoulder.

"A f-few days." Deaother muttered, making Eragon raise his eyebrows.

"Really?" He asked.

"Father!" Deaother exclaimed, even though he was laughing now.

"What do you think?" Leliana asked as she entered the room.

Angrenost turned around, and his eyes went wide as she entered the room. He had asked his servants to turn Leliana from the simple person she was to a person who was used to power and riches, and knew how to handle herself in the situation that she was going to be in. They had taken an entire hour, and now, she stood in front of Angrenost with her hair combed in varying curves which flowed down her back to her waist. She was smiling at him, which just made her look more beautiful. Her dress was shimmering between ruby red and obsidian black in the light.

"You look fabulous . . . More beautiful than any princess has ever looked." Angrenost told her, and she beamed at him.

"You are too kind." She said, then turned and back to him. The dress was generous, it wasn't too revealing, nor was it too orthodox. Angrenost stared at her for a while, and she turned to him."Angrenost?"  
"I am sorry . . . You are just sunning, Leliana, I can't help it." He told her, and she just smiled and tapped his cheek lightly. He offered her his hand, and arm in arm they walked outside the room.

They soon reached the Reception Hall, and Angrenost helped Leliana take a seat next to the grand Throne. He did not sit down, instead stood up a little ahead of the Throne. He wasn't the king yet, which meant that he could not take the seat.

"What do you want me to say?" Leliana asked him. He turned around then, he couldn't help it, and pulled out a crown from under his cloak.

"There isn't much that you need to speak. If the Queen decides to stay and talk, only then will you need to reply." Angrenost replied, and slowly placed the crown on her forehead. It was a slender crown, made of gold, and embedded with a knuckle sized ruby, which was supposed to be worn just above the nose. She giggled slightly, which made Angrenost raise his eyebrows.

"Nothing, I'll tell you later." She said, and he nodded at her.

"And well . . . don't act different or anything, just be yourself. The only difference is that, well, you are a princess, nothing else. You don't have to talk like one, or walk like one or any such thing." Angrenost said.

"But there is one thing I don't understand Angrenost. I am the princess, yes?" She asked him, and he nodded. "Well then, am I your Princess?"

Angrenost stiffened and turned to her with raised eyebrows. "You-my-what?" He said in a quick succession, making her laugh.

"Am I your Princess, Prince?' She asked him, and he just goggled at her for a while.

"Err . . . if you want to be, then . . ." Angrenost felt heat grow in his face, and turned away, unable to speak anymore.

"Angrenost?" Leliana asked, and managed to control her laughter and say, "Are you blushing?"

"N-No." Angrenost replied, not looking at her. But she stood up and walked to him, and stared at his face, which was growing even redder.

"Why are you blushing? Are you embarrassed?" She asked, but he just shook his head. "Was it because I said I am your Princess?"

"No!" He said instantly.

"Then what is it?" Leliana asked.

"It's just that I have never, well, been asked that before . . . it was something new to me." Angrenost replied.

"What do you mean?" Leliana asked.

"I am not a . . . well, I have never been in a relationship before, that's what I am saying." Angrenost replied, and turned to her. "You have! You won't understand how I feel about this."

"So I am not your Princess?' Leliana asked him, her eyes wide and glossy.

"Wait!" Angrenost held out his hands in front of him. "I am getting confused."

Leliana chuckled, "Then just answer, am I your princess?"

"Well, yes, you are." Angrenost said, and almost fell back when she hugged him tightly in response, not saying anything. Angrenost rubbed her back with his arm, and kissed her neck, the let go. She stared at him with something new in her eyes then, in a way that he had never seen or noticed before. Her eyes were full of wonder, and he wondered why.

"Can I remain the Princess?" She asked him.

Angrenost stared at her for a while, and raised his eyebrow. "That depends . . . on the both of us."

"As in?" Leliana asked him.

"I thought it's obvious!" Angrenost said, then turned around as the doors to the Reception Hall opened.

Eragon was walking towards them, along with several elves. An elven lady, wearing a crown and fabulous robes was walking next to another elf who wore a shining red tunic and black pants, behind Eragon. Angrenost immediately recognised the elf. It was Deaother, the same person whom he had talked to when he had scried Murtagh, then then acting Lead Rider.

"I thank you all for coming here to aid us, I truly feel blessed." Angrenost said, walking down the stairs and standing in front of them.

The elves greeted them in their own way, to which he replied formally. Deaother walked up to him and offered his hand to shake, which Angrenost took. "I remember you, weren't you stuck at Ellesmera?"

"Yes, that was me." Deaother said, nodding, then moved to the side and the Queen stood in front of Angrenost.

Angrenost was used looking down while talking to women, because he was taller than most of the women in his kingdom. The same could not be said about the Queen of elves, she was as tall as him, extremely beautiful and fair, but still gave off an aura of a warrior.

"It indeed is an honor to meet you, Vaelia Drottning." Angrenost said.

"The honor is mine, Prince Angrenost." Vaelia said, smiling. "I have heard of the great feats you have achieved. Saving Carvahall and raising an army on your own is no small feat."

"You defended Osilon against the Ra'zac, and you sent them scurrying back. It is a great achievement, especially because it is the first battle that you ever led as a Queen." Angrenost replied, and turned as Leliana came to his side.

"I didn't know you were married." Deaother said, and bowed to Leliana.

Angrenost remained silent as Deaother kissed Leliana's hand, and introduced her as, "Princess Leliana." to Vaelia and the lords. Eragon's eyebrows were raised throughout the conversation. Angrenost just avoided his gaze while Leliana was talking.

"So how did you meet?" Deaother asked finally. Angrenost froze then, but Eragon intervened, knowing that Leliana didn't have a reply.

"Come on, son, we have a lot of things to talk about. Drottning Vaelia, please, follow me." Eragon said, gesturing for them to follow him. Vaelia nodded, and began to walk towards the doors of the room, as did the other lords and ladies, and Deaother.

Angrenost bode the Lords and Ladies farewell, then sighed with relief when they left and the doors closed shut behind him. "That was close . . ."

"I had an answer ready." Leliana replied, making Angrenost jump.

"And what was it?" Angrenost asked her.

"You saved my life in Tierm, and I fell in love with you, spent a lot of time with you, and we got together when you expressed your feelings for me." Leliana replied simply.

Angrenost just goggled at her again, "You are . . . unbelievable!"

Leliana just shrugged, but Angrenost offered her his hand, and they walked arm in arm outside the Reception Hall, to the room that they shared. "You still didn't answer me properly though, what if I wanted to be the princess?"

Angrenost looked at her, he felt a little irritated. "It's simple." Angrenost said. "You will need to marry me."

Leliana stopped walking then, and stared at him, "Is that the only way?"

"Or, you can kill me and declare yourself the ruler. Your wish." Angrenost said flatly, and continued walking.

"Well, I want to be a princess . . . and I don't want to kill you, but . . ." Leliana trailed off.

"You don't want to marry me either, do you?' Angrenost said. He had to stop himself from saying 'As if that wasn't expected'. He felt a little hurt as he realized what she was saying.

"I won't say no . . . you are a Prince after all, every little girl dreams of marrying a Prince once in their childhood. In my case, it might just come true, that is, if you ask." Leliana said.

"I . . . really don't know how to reply." Angrenost told her, and slowly let go of her arm and kept walking, letting a little distance fall between them.

"Don't be shy Angrenost, it's alright." Leliana said, coming next to him.

"Its not alright, and I am not shy." Angrenost replied, irritated. He felt that he knew why she was being so sweet and calm when it came to this topic, and that there was only one way to stop this conversation, and it was to address the truth.

"But what's wrong? Why don't we try going ahead with, you know, us?" Leliana asked him.

"Because I am not Danaher." Angrenost said, turning around and looking into her eyes. "And because I know you miss him and his love so much, you want to try anything to fill up the gap you have in your heart . . ."

Leliana was silent for several moments then, staring at Angrenost. Angrenost just stared back, then slowly reached forward to her, but she stepped back. "How could you just say that?" She asked him, and looked down at her dress and hands. "What makes you so sure about what you said?"

"Because its . . . well, you talk in your sleep. And you talk very loudly." Angrenost said, and scratched the back of his head. "I find it difficult to sleep through that, so I don't have a choice but to listen."

"Did I say all that?" Leliana asked.

"Most of it." Angrenost replied.

He didn't get a reply for several moments, but then, "You told me the one thing I have been trying to deny ever since Danaher died . . . the one thing I have been trying to keep at bay." Leliana told him slowly and faintly. Angrenost nodded at her, and slowly put an arm around her shoulders. She placed her head on his shoulder, and slowly a tear formed in her eye. "I just miss him so much. I had just found him, and now he is dead."

"I am there for you, don't forget that." Angrenost told her, shaking her shoulders.

"But you can't do everything, you said it yourself . . . you are not Danaher, you said it yourself." Leliana said. "But I had hoped that you would feel about me the way I feel about you . . . you were special to me from the very beginning, ever since you promised Heslant that you will keep me safe."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Angrenost asked her, now placing both her hands on her shoulders and coming up in front of her.

"Because I wasn't sure . . . I am so sorry I had to break it down to you like this, but . . . before I could figure things out, Danaher came, and my emotions returned . . . he died so suddenly, my feelings were left incomplete, and coupling with what I felt for you . . . Angrenost, I began to fall in love with you. These past few days, I have been controlling myself, fighting myself, doing everything in my power to-"

"You don't even know me that well." Angrenost said, but she just dipped her head so that he was staring at her scalp. "You can't fall in love with a person whom you don't know."

"I know you a lot better than you think . . . I have been keeping my ears open, talking to you and to others . . . and I did fall in love with you. . . and the more I find out about you, the more I think you are perfect for me." Leliana sobbed, and Angrenost saw her tears fall to the ground.

"Look . . .look at me." Angrenost said, and she looked up with eyes full of tears. "You are just placing me in the place where Danaher was . . . these feelings for me are the ones you had for Danaher, I am completely different from him. I wouldn't have climbed a window to meet you, I wouldn't have woken early every day to see you, I wouldn't have fought with you and angered you so much that you would leave the tent, I wouldn't have left you in Tierm and gone, I wouldn't have made empty promises, I wouldn't have done any of the things he did, I am completely diff-"

His words were lost then as Leliana came forward and sealed her lips to his, kissing him.


	96. Chapter 95

**Chapter 95: The best we have**

"Welcome Yurgrovazh, I am glad you are here to aid us." Angrenost said, looking up at the Urgal chief.

"An honor, Angrenost, I have heard a great deal of your deeds. Its been a long time since Alagaesia has seen courage like yours." He said, raising his head, then noticed the woman next to Angrenost and raised his eyebrows.

"This is Princess Leliana." Angrenost said. Yurgrovazh bowed slightly.

"You are beautiful, lady, and the perfect partner a great prince could wish for." Yurgrovazh told her, then turned to Eragon. "I must help my brethren make camp, Firesword, Angrenost, Princess." He said, and left the Reception Hall.

The Urgals had also arrived, along with the humans from the nearby cities. The dwarves were still far away, near Dras'leona. There had been no contact from Nolfavrell and Ohen either, which meant that the wild dragons were not going to be there any time soon. Angrenost was getting tensed; their numbers were increasing but the way in which Eragon the First had described things, Angrenost doubted whether the troops that they had would be enough or not.

"Are we going to survive without the dwarves and dragons?" Angrenost asked Eragon, worried.

"They'll be here, calm down." Eragon said. "They are the ones who belong to Alagaesia, truly belong to it, while we all have come from the foreign lands."

Angrenost didn't bother asking where he was from, he just didn't want to know. He just nodded, offered Leliana his hand, which she took, and they left, saying, "I just hope they reach us before the battle starts."

Soon, they had reached their room, and Leliana grabbed Angrenost's hand as he made to let go and go to his own room. "About last night."

"I was wondering when you'd explain." Angrenost said, turning to her.

The previous night, Leliana had lost control of herself completely, and had jumped forward and kissed him right in the lips, something which had caught Angrenost off guard. He had enjoyed it, but he wasn't going to let her know that. She still thought that he was angry about it.

"I am sorry, it was immature, and completely wrong of me." Leliana said holding his hands in her own so that he wouldn't walk away. "Let us just return to the way we were before all this."

Angrenost stared at her, and managed to free her hands from his own. He was in half minds now. He would like to continue what Leliana started, with all the kissing and hugging. But he knew that it would distract him and pull him in the direction which he didn't know if he could afford to go. So, he didn't know what he should do, which is why he placed a hand on her shoulder, "We'll talk more about this, but later . . . I need to get outside for a while." Angrenost said, and hurried past her before she could stop him.

He walked for a long time, going from one courtyard, talking to the generals and captains of the different units. The most interesting soldiers of all were the ones who had come to Alagaesia from Alalea. The ones who belonged to Eragon the First's army. They would laugh and say that Alalea was just as beautiful, but a lot less peaceful.

He met Murtagh, who talked to him for a while, then let go and hurried to his dragon. He entered the castle, and began to go towards him room, still in half minds, unable to understand what he was supposed to do. Leliana's attraction to him had triggered something in him. For the first time, a woman felt something for him which had nothing to do with the fact he was a Prince, except in jokes.

He was lost in his thoughts that as he turned a corner, he ran into the least expected person.

"Pardon me, I didn't . . . Deaother? Drottning Vaelia?" Angrenost said as he saw them. Deaother had been leaning against the wall, and Vaelia had been kissing him with extreme enthusiasm. And he had run right into them while they still had their lips sealed.

They both jumped away from each other, while he scratched the back of his head. "Why were you-?"

"We are mates, so we are not doing anything wrong." Deaother said hurriedly.

"I . . . didn't think you were. I mean, I didn't know you were mates." Angrenost said.

"We didn't know you were married." Deaother replied, crossing his arms and staring at him sharply to change the topic.

"I am not married!" Angrenost said, making them both raise their eyes in surprise. "I never said I was."

"I asked you." Deaother pointed out.

"I . . . did you? I must not have heard you." Angrenost replied.

"You seem tensed, Prince, is something wrong?" Vaelia said, speaking for the first time. Angrenost turned to her then, his eyebrows slowly rising. Vaelia just shrugged. "We have both lost our fathers to the spawn of that filthy shade Crugan, we have both led assaults against the enemy's armies. We are very much alike."

"True, but the problem I have is, well . . . a little confusing." Angrenost said.

"Is it about that woman?" Deaother asked, but Vaelia nudged him. He just grinned.

 _They are so much older than me, yet they act like they are my age. I guess time does have a slow effect on them._ Angrenost thought to himself. Well, who else can I turn to for advice anyway

"Yes , the very woman I introduced as the Princess." Angrenost said.

"Then I am pretty sure we can help you, come." Vaelia said, and grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him forward with astounding strength.

"She says that she has feelings for me, and I don't know what to say. That's pretty much it." Angrenost said, suddenly wishing to escape the couple.

"Now that's an enigma." Deaother said. "You don't know what to say as in, say yes or no?"

"That's right." Angrenost said.

"Do you have feelings for her?" Vaelia asked him.

"I . . . have never known a woman who had feelings for me for reasons other than the fact that I am a Prince. And I . . . really could use some happiness. But she just lost the person whom she loved, and maybe this is a reaction to that." Angrenost said.

"Look, if she has feelings for you, whatever they may be, and you have feelings for her which are much the same, then you must try to work things out with her which will be good for both of you." Deaother told him.

"You are right, but how can I know that she is doing this just to fill the gap in her heart?" Angrenost asked them.

"Because she is helping you, and because you might be helping you in some way I cannot fathom." Vaelia replied, and then the both of them grabbed him by his hands. "Listen to me, there is a war coming, and you won't be able to make the right decisions with these things in your mind. Let them go, take a decision which you think will make you happy, only then you can remain at your best in the war."

"Do the right thing, my friend, it will all turn out for the best." Deaother said.

 _What did I do?_ Leliana thought to herself. _I shouldn't have kissed him, I should have controlled myself. Now I am going to lose the only person whom I could trust, he is probably not going to talk to me properly ever again . . . I should apologise, and promise him that it won't happen again._

She paced around, rubbing her arms and coiling her already curved hair, extremely tensed and worried about Angrenost. He would return any time now, and then, she would just apologise. Let her heart speak for her.

 _And what about Danaher?_ Leliana asked herself. She knew the answer, even though she had tried to deny it to herself for a long time. She had known it from the very night since they had fought. The relationship between her and Danaher was eventually going to fall apart. They had made up the next day, and Danaher had died that very day, and that was the very day when Leliana had decided to tell him that would have to remain apart.

 _Things were not going to work out between us . . . my excitement and joy had taken the best of me when he had appeared . . . but now, my eyes have opened. I know what I want, and Angrenost has been the right person from the very beginning._ Leliana told herself. _But does he like me? She asked. I don't think so . . .I must apologise to him, that's the only way I can remain with him._

Suddenly, the door behind her opened, and she turned around to see Angrenost there, staring at her with a smile. She walked towards him, intending to apologise, but he strode forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her.

Before she realized what she was doing, she was kissing him back, all thoughts of apologizing vanished. They kissed again, and again, and again. They stopped then, both gasping for breath, but then Angrenost said, "I know this is not what . . . you expected, but this is how it is. I want to be with you, I want to know you . . . like no one else has ever known you."

"And I you." Leliana said, kissing him again.

"I have never done this before. You will need to bear with me, I have no experience in this." Angrenost told her. Following this, he bent down to one knee, and holding her hand in both his own, he asked her. "My lady, may I court you?"

Leliana laughed and nodded, and jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"So he has a lair in Du Weldenvarden. And he will return there after he is done with Carvahall." Eragon said. They were in the courtyard, next to the dragons.

"Yes, and he will move ahead without stopping. His army will attack, and they will try to invade the city, but there won't be any of the traditional stopping and killing and raiding homes. They will just set the city on fire or something similar, after everyone is dead." Eragon the First told him.

"And what if everyone is not dead?" Murtagh asked.

"Then they will kill those who remain, then burn the city." Phriones replied.

"What if they are all dead already?" Nasuada asked in return.

"Then we have nothing to worry about, but their numbers will be far greater than we anticipate . . . This is going to be difficult, but this may help improve our chances." Eragon the First said, putting his hand down.

"What is that?" Eragon asked.

Phriones seemed surprised as well, but Eragon the First just smiled, "He is going to be in a hurry to get to his land of supremacy in Ellesmera. So, he himself won't take much part in this battle, instead he will be hurrying forward."

"So we face his forces, and we hold them long enough for them to pass?" Murtagh said, his face tensed.

"Yes, we cannot defeat them, we must chase them. His forces will be different in the air, and different on land. The advantage here are the dragons, there were no dragons in Alalea, other than Bid'daum and our companions." Eragon the First told them.

"So all we have to do is survive, kill as many of them as possible, then finish them off by giving chase." Nasuada summarized.

"If we have enough rams to give chase and finish the battle." Yurgrovazh said.

"I hope we will." Eragon replied, and stood up. "I am surprised that both Drottning Vaelia, and Prince Angrenost are not present here, but they shall be informed of what we discussed."

"And something else, we have just two or three days left to prepare." Murtagh said. "They were spotted by our scouts and according to them they would reach the coast tomorrow, which leave us a few day to prepare if they try to pass the mountain."

"They won't." Eragon the First told him. "They will come for us from the north, using the Anora River, while the Lethrblaka will fly in from the west."

"So we must position our forces facing north, while the dragons and half the archers must face west." Eragon said.

"You are right. And we should send out the orders right now, we don't want to be surprised to our deaths at night." Eragon the First said.

It was night time, and Deaother was standing out in the courtyard, talking to the dragons. Vaelia had to talk to the soldiers, which was why Deaother had decided to visit the dragons who were like family to him.

In front of him were Saphira, Thorn, Valinor and Draumr, all listening intently as he finished telling them all that had happened at the battle of Osilon.

 _Can you show us how those powers work?_ Draumr asked. _I am very curious._

 _All of us are, except Valinor._ Thorn added.

"I'll show you, but I will need someone to breathe fire at me." Deaother said.

Valinor pulled back his neck, and sent a torrent of emerald fire towards Deaother, who stopped it by just looking at it, making the other three dragons yelp in surprise. Then he snapped in his fingers, and the fire began to turn to a fountain of water emerging from Valinor's jaw. Valinor stopped then, as did Deaother, and smiled at the others.

 _Can you make fire appear out of nowhere?_ Saphira asked, and Deaother nodded, making a small, golden flame appear on his palm.

 _How about a lot of it_? Thorn asked, and Deaother waved his hand towards the sky, sending out a huge blast of golden fire. The fire broke into small parts, which Deaother turned to water.

"Try using two elements at once, young one." A voice said. Deaother turned to see Eragon the First walking towards him, hands behind his back. He had a kind smile on his face. "Use fire with your right hand, and lightning with you left."

Deaother nodded and let fire cover his right hand, and lightning appear on his left, both of which he sent skywards. Eragon the First seemed pleased, and blinked when the fire and lightning collided in a bright explosion. Several windows opened in the castle and people tried to find out what was causing the commotion.

"Now, use your legs for two other elements, earth and stone." Eragon the First instructed.

"Is that possible?" Deaother asked.

"Oh yes, and it will make you extremely powerful." Eragon the First replied.

"Fine . . . let's see if I can do this." Deaother muttered, while the dragons watched intently. He let fire and lightning covers his hands, and concentrated, letting earth cover his left leg. He felt soil rise up his shoes, and his pants, he felt his feet being embedded in earth. Next, he concentrated on his right leg. In a matter of moments, an unbreakable wall of stone formed around his leg.

"Most don't know this, but a person with your abilities can grow armor out of stone, mend buildings, grow trees, change the course of a river, part a way for yourself across the ocean, all of it just with your thoughts and gestures of your hands." Eragon the First said. "It will take a while to master, but if you can equip these three elements, along with lightning, in the four limbs that you have, then you use air and water for mobility . . . try lifting yourself in the air."

"You mean, I can fly?" Deaother asked.

"Perhaps, I have never seen anyone do that, but there is a chance you can. But it will require practice . . . right now, all you can do is make yourself float in the air, similar to when you use magic." Eragon the First told him.

Deaother closed his eyes then, willing the air to lift him up. And that was all he needed to do, he felt himself being lifted, and he opened his eyes wide in surprise. He looked around hurriedly, and saw the walls of the castle going lower. He looked down to see Eragon the First looking up at him, and the ground moving away from his feet slowly.

He felt so astounded that he lost his focus and fell to the ground with a dull 'thump'. He looked around in surprise, then laughed. "This is amazing!"

"Impressive, for a first time." Eragon the First said, offering him a hand. Deaother grabbed it, and he pulled him up. "You'll do great, Deaother-vor. But this is all I know about these abilities, as I myself don't have them. You will have to figure them out on your own."

"But why do I have these powers? There must be some reason." Deaother asked as the elf turned and began to leave.

"These powers were in your blood, just as they are in mine and in every elf's blood. The dragon magic that changed your father from the normal human he was, to the elf he is now, coupled with the ability he has to make fire appear on his sword, and perhaps someone in your family also had these abilities, on your mother's side. All these factors caused you to have these powers . . . and your age, you are almost a hundred years old. This is the age when most elves undergo a change in their lives, I did, and it caused a change in my entire world."

Deaother smiled then, "Thank you, Eragon."

Eragon the First nodded, "May the stars watch over you."

At the same time, miles away , more than a hundred ships passed through the small gap between the mountains, entering the Anora River from the oceans.

"How much more time?" Crugan asked. He looked up at the snow peaked mountains of the Spine passing by, his fleet of more than a hundred following his own large one. Each ship had almost thousand soldiers in them, each one of them ready and hungry for battle.

"Just two more days, your highness, perhaps just one if we keep going at this rate." His attendant responded.

"Good." He replied, and looked up at his steed. The beaked creature stared down, a look of wrath in its eyes.


	97. Chapter 96

**Chapter 96: Here they come**

"We still need some soldiers on the remaining gates of the city, we don't know whether they will attack us only from one direction." Murtagh said as he and Eragon hurried to the highest balcony of the castle, and stood there, next to his brother.

"Agreed, but the bulk of our forces stays towards the north." Eragon replied.

"What about the leaders? Us? Where will we be?" Murtagh asked.

"We will need all the Riders on the ground, and dragons up in the air. Those Lethrblaka can kill all of us with ease without the dragons . . . and archers, they will have to handle Lethrblaka and the ground troops of Crugan's army." Eragon told him. "Magic is also important this time."

"I guess the soldiers will know what to do and when they have to do it." Murtagh said.

"I suppose so." Eragon replied.

"Vaelia, watch this." Deaother said.

He was standing in the courtyard and looked up at her, who was looking at him from the huge window of her own room. She was still in her nightgown, and was smiling at him because he had just shown her how he could use different elements with different hands.

Now, he raised his hands to the sides, and kept looking at her. Before he knew it, she was coming closer, or rather, he was rising in the air to her. Vaelia stared at him for a while, then slowly his faced showed a look of astonishment, with her face lit up with complete surprise when he climbed into her room from the window.

"How did you do that?" Vaelia asked. "Without magic?"

"Yes, I just used the powers I have over air." Deaother replied.

"Very impressive, now go back down, I have to change." Vaelia replied, and he raised his eyebrows at her. She raised her own at him questioningly.

"Can I stay?" He asked her in the sweetest voice he could.

Vaelia smiled, even came close to kiss him. Deaother smiled and leaned in for it, but instead she slapped him lightly, "Sorry, out you go." She told him, and kept staring at him sharply with her arms crossed.

Ephian entered Orik's tent, the dwarf king was talking to Nasuada, who seemed tensed and worried. "We need you, we won't survive otherwise."

"I know, Nasuada, and I intend to reach there in time . . . we shall leave at once, I have already given out the order to pack and leave, as have the other leaders. We shall be on our way in less than half of the hour." Orik replied.

"But will you reach us by tomorrow?" Nasuada asked him. "Crugan and his forces have already been spotted, they will reach us in two days' time."

"You want me to be honest?" Orik asked her. She nodded. "It will take us more at least three days, if we march without sleep and rest for the next two days."

"Oh . . ." Nasuada couldn't help but be silent as the news hit her. "That is not . . . not what I expected in the least."

"I know I should say better, but what do you expect? We are journeying to the other corner of Alagaesia." Orik said.

"True . . . but please, do your best, and get here as soon as possible." Nasuada told him.

"I will do my best, all of us will, my old friend." Orik replied, then turned to see Ephian just standing there. "Things are not looking so good, are they?"

"No, they are not, but they can get better." Ephian replied.

"True, but why are you here?" Orik asked him.

"Just checking in." Ephian said, crossing his arms.

"Well, if that's what you are doing, then you should know that we are not going let Eragon down, or let the Broddring kingdom fall apart." Orik replied.

"I hope so." Ephian said.

"Prince Angrenost." The general of Carvahall said as Angrenost walked to him, wearing his dark red cloak and smiled.

"I see you have all the soldiers ready and assigned with their duties." Angrenost said.

"I do, sire, just as you ordered." The General replied.

"And will the archers be occupying the rooftops?" Angrenost asked.

"Aye, they will."

"Are the ballistae in place?' Angrenost asked in reply.

"Almost done, they will be ready within two hours." The General said, and bowed his head as Angrenost nodded and walked towards the castle. He entered it and hurried to his own room, where he found a new set of armor for himself, a new sword and a shield.

"I brought myself a new set as well." Leliana said and smiled at him as he drew the sword. It was a one handed sword, but it was impressively crafted. The hilt was made of gold and ivory, coated with leather, and the exact shape and size for Angrenost's fist. It also had a curved hand guard, and straight cross guard of gold. The blade was glistening steel.

Angrenost then hefted the shield and looked at it. The shield was dark blue in color, heavy, and had the coat of arms of the Broddring kingdom on it, the same one which the Varden once upon a time had on their own flags and shields. It had golden bordering on the rims of the shield.

"I feel ready now, ready for what is coming." Angrenost said.

"I can say much the same." Leliana said, and showed him a bow and the set of armor she had brought for herself. She strung the bow, it took some effort on her part, then pulled out and arrow pulled the string back, keeping it balanced and powerful. She aimed the arrow at the open window, and Angrenost smiled. Leliana continued as she placed the bow down. "This war is going to be difficult for both of us, and I want to tell you something."

"Sure." Angrenost said, coming to her. She grabbed his hands in her own.

"We must survive this, the two of us. You are the only person whom I trust in Alagaesia, the only person whom I want to be with." Leliana placed his hand on her heart and came closer. "If we survive this, then I promise . . . I will let go of my greif completely, and give myself to you, let you love me the way you want to."

Angrenost could feel her heart beating against the palm of his hand. "We will survive this, I am sure of it." Then he went closer and kissed her in the lips.

"Deaother, come here." Eragon said, calling his son to him. Deaother hurried over and nodded at his father, who tapped him on the shoulder and said. "You are going to have to maintain a mental connection with some of us during the battle."

"Who all?" Deaother asked him.

"Me, for the most part, and Vaelia, but Murtagh, Nasuada or Eragon the First, or any of their partners, or Saphira, might contact you if there is an emergency." Eragon told him.

"Emergency?" Deaother said. "What kind of emergency would I be needed to tackle?"

"You are not a normal ground soldier, Deaother, your abilities demand that you do more, as do mine and every other Rider's and leader's. To be frank, you are a special one . . . but you spent the entire battle at Osilon with Vaelia, protecting her." Eragon raised a hand as Deaother made to interrupt. "I know she is your mate, and that you feel protective of her, I would have done the same if I were in your position, but this time, I am going to need you to do things that no one else will be able to do."

"Alright, and why can't Vaelia be with me during that?" Deaother asked him.

"Because she is going to be in the castle, safe with the other monarchs, except Orik if he gets late. But anyway, many things are going to go wrong in this battle . . . we are going to be taking refuge behind the walls of Carvahall, with most of our soldiers towards the north, but if any other gate is torn apart, you are to rush to it along all the soldiers that can keep up, push back the attackers and fix the gate, you understand?" Eragon asked him.

"That's all?" Deaother asked, shrugging.

"There can be other things too, this was just an example, if a building catches fire, you'll need to put it out, or if a Lethrblaka lands and starts hacking our men apart, kill it. Use your powers, your head, magic and strength this time, not just fire again and again like at Osilon." Eragon told him, and smiled.

Deaother nodded, "I will be ready, father, don't worry."

Eragon smiled, turned around and left the castle to the courtyards, below the fast darkening sky.

Dawn came, and with it came the sound of metal boots hurrying in a rushed frenzy as the soldiers within the walls of Carvahall hurried to the northern gate, falling into positions by their units. Thousands of men, women, elves and Urgal stood behind barricades and spiked road strips across the streets and roads in the huge city, waiting for the enemies to appear.

Archers took to the rooftops, their bows strung and their armor shining bright. They were accompanied by dragons and their Riders, who all gazed towards the north, and the north, searching for some sign of their enemies approach.

Eragon stood in the Conference Hall, on the ground floor of the castle, along with Deaother and Vaelia. Yurgrovazh, Angrenost and Leliana arrived in a few minutes, all of them were armor clad and wielding weapons. Deaother and Vaelia were holding arms, as were Angrenost and Leliana.

Eragon, and even Deaother, had to look up to see Yurgrvazh's face, who was nine feet tall and extremely muscular. Eragon nodded at him, and looked at the rest, "I know this may sound wrong to you all, and that you might not agree, but I, and Deaother, must ask you to do something today."

"And what might that be?" Vaelia asked him, while Deaother kissed her forehead and let go of her hand, then came to stand next to Eragon, looking at all the monarchs.

"We need you to stay in the castle, during the battle, and away from all the-" Eragon was interrupted by Yurgrovazh.

"I am sorry, Firesword, but this is not acceptable." Yurgrovazh said, holding up his and slightly. "We cannot hide behind the gates of a keep while our soldiers battle and die to defend our land."

"It is not a matter of fighting and dying with the soldiers, it is a matter of keeping the balance. If any of you die, there will be no one left to rally your soldiers." Deaother said. Vaelia was staring at him then, with her eyes extremely sharp. To Eragon, it seemed like Deaother was avoiding her gaze, which he thought, was exactly what Deaother should do.

"What do you mean?" Angrenost asked.

"There is no win or lose in this battle, there is only survival. Those invaders are going to break in, sweep through, and break out. And we have to deal with killing as many of them as possible in the process. We can't hide and attack, that would be just too cowardly on our part, and they wouldn't fall for the trap, so we have to lure them into this one. We are less in number, but they are not going to stop and kill everyone, they are just going to cause chaos." Eragon explained, and took a deep breath.

"And, we were lucky with Vaelia and Angrenost . . . both, the elves and humans, were attacked and both lost their kings. But their children rose and took their father's respective places. If we lose the two of you, there will be no one left. But if you lose one of us, there is always someone else to take our place." Deaother explained, and he chanced a look at Vaelia, who now had an impassive look on her face. It was impossible to say what she was thinking.

"You may be right, but then what will our soldiers think when they see that we are hiding in the castle." Yurgrovazh asked.

"They won't think anything, because they won't know about it, only the six of us know this, and some of the Riders like Eragon the First and the others." Eragon told them.

"Then I guess the only thing we can do about this is agree with what you are saying, nothing else." Vaelia said, and nodded. Deaother had a look of relief on his face, and she smiled slightly at him, before turning and leaving. Deaother followed her.

"Are you angry?" Deaother asked after they were out of earshot of the others.

"Oh, what was your first clue?" Vaelia asked him back, turning around.

"Y-Your eyes, they scared me." Deaother said, and smiled slightly, but Vaelia didn't seem amused.

"You want me to hide and wait, while you are out there fighting, do you think I will agree to that?" Vaelia said.

"You just did." Deaother pointed, and she raised her hands in frustration, sighing.

"I know, and I didn't want to." Vaelia said.

"You do realize that I want you to be safe, and that-" Deaother was saying but Vaelia cut him off.

"And do you realize that I want to be with you to know that you are safe?" Vaelia asked him, her voice rising.

"Please calm down, there is no need to shout at me." Deaother said, and came closer to her. "I love you, and it is because I love you that I want you to be safe."

"I want you to be safe for the very same reason, don't you understand? . . . What you said was not right Deaother, if you die, no one else can take your place in my life." Vaelia told him.

"I . . . It wasn't meant for you. If you die, no one else can take your place in my life either, Vaelia, that is why I need you to trust me. I will return to you, as long as I know that you are safe." Deaother told her, holding her hands in his own. She looked down, not meeting his eyes, and nodded. "So . . . do you trust me?"

"I do." Vaelia replied, holding his hand tightly.

"What do the scouts say?" Crugan asked the large group of captains, commanders, and his own General. Most of them were Ra'zac, as was his General, but there was a Lethrblaka leader with them.

"They ssseem to be prepared for usss, we do not know how." His general told him. Crugan had to lean in to hear what the Ra'zac was saying.

"That fool Eragon must have contacted them . . . we shall need a new strategy for this battle." Crugan said.

"And what ssshall that be, massster?" The Ra'zac asked.

"We shall destroy them, wait and destroy them, not move until I give the order, just the way we destroyed the human capital on Alalea, and then move to Ellesmera, the way we moved towards Ureimes." Crugan.

"Dessstroy their gatesss? Kill all that we sssee?" The General asked.

"Yes, a little different from the original plan, but much more effective on a prepared city." Crugan smirked.

A hooded person walked hurriedly down the stairs of the castle of Carvahall, and jogged down a dark corridor. The person kept moving, his palm raised. "Come one, which one is it?" He muttered to himself. He had almost reached the end of the corridor when he suddenly stopped and placed his hand on one of the doors. "This is it . . ." He unlocked it with a muttered word and hurried in.

In front of him was a small room, filled with brooms, buckets and broken tables, chairs and other pieces of furniture. The person walked into the room and placed his hand on the wall on the opposite side of the door. "I am close." He told himself, and pressed his ear to the wall. He could faintly hear the sound of gurgling water. There was something beyond this wall of which no one of this generation knew. He looked around then. He was two levels underground, a level below the basement. "Let's do this." He said and pointed his palm at the wall.

His palm glistened and the wall shuddered as cracks went across it. "Oh come on!" He said and punched the walls, making more cracks appear. He then bashed his shoulder onto the wall, and managed to break through the hollow portion into the region that existed within.

Water ran in a small stream in front of him, and ahead of him was a tunnel. He smirked, "I found you . . . this is going to be a great help to Crugan." He sprinted down the tunnel, running faster than any human possibly could. He ran for several minutes, and then stopped suddenly. The sound of the gurgling water couldn't be heard anymore.

He sneered and pointed his palm at the roof of the tunnel. "Looks like you have a way to get in." The roof was blasted apart to show the starry night sky above.

Eragon the First stood before the joint armies of the humans, elves, Urgal and dragons, along with the ones that came from Vroengard. Above them, the clouds also gathered, darkening by the second. Lightning cracked among them, the war beginning among the clouds themselves. Eragon the First smiled at the soldiers in front of him, and raised his hands to his side. "I stand before you today, returning to this land after ages, with the help of your Lead Rider. Today, we are to battle people who do not know rules, do not know fear. They only know orders and how to obey them, they are slaves to their kings."

The soldiers listened to him intently as he spoke, knowing him to be a great legend from times long gone. His being there and his words just strengthened their beliefs. "But not you! You are here to defend your homes, to keep your freedom, to save your children, your parents, and your families . . ."

The soldiers replied with yells and cries of war, they were ready and they were willing to fight and die for what they believed, for what they loved. They were determined to protect their land. "So join me, and together, we can destroy that what wishes to destroy us!"

But outside the city, ships arrived at the banks of the Anora River. Ramps were thrown open and men filed out, their captains shouting and yelling commands at them to hurry. That was towards the north, whereas towards the northnorth, the sky was dark with the hundreds of Lethrblaka flying towards Carvahall. Almost every Rider and their dragon was present in Carvahall, just around sixty dragons. The question arose, would they be enough?


	98. Chapter 97

**Chapter 97: The True Face Of War**

"Do you think they will talk first?" Deaother asked Murtagh, who shook his head and followed Eragon as they climbed up the stairs to the walls of it city. They reached the top of the northern gate and watched as the opposing army came towards them. As far as Deaother could see, the army had fairly equal numbers of men and Ra'zac.

"Oh they will talk, but I am sure they will say 'Surrender or die' and they want to kill us anyway." Eragon told him. The clouds above had thickened and it seemed that they would open up above them, just as their enemies were going to rain down upon them.

"There will hardly be any words spoken, young one, they are just going to start shooting arrows and boulders at us." Eragon the First said.

"Boulders?" Deaother asked.

"See those siege engines? They will shoot smoldering, huge rocks at us. And those humans are fairly advanced, their swords and some other weapons, and armors, are extremely dangerous as compared to that of the humans of Alagaesia, a little help from Crugan, no doubt." Eragon the First told him.

The next half hour passed quickly. There was a chilled breeze in the air that tore through their armor and clothes, winter was near. It surprised Deaother why every war would either start or end near winter, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. He watched as the opposing army came to them, marching in extremely orderly and straight lines, their footsteps sounding as if they were one. Deaother had to admit, these soldiers were trained extremely well, and he was impressed.

"Get off the gate, all of you. They have seen me before, they will be unnerved to see me again." Eragon the First said, and nodded at Eragon.

"Come on Deaother, Murtagh." Eragon said, and beckoned for them to hurry down the stairs. They followed him, and Deaother noticed that his father and uncle were both constantly turning to their dragons, who were also staring at their Riders with concern.

"So, this is it then . . . no turning back now." Deaother said.

"No turning back now." Murtagh replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But don't worry, it will all turn out for the best, trust me on that."

Deaother nodded and smiled slightly, and clapped his hand with his uncle's, "Let's teach those bastards something Alalea can't teach them."

Eragon grinned at Deaother, "You are lucky your mother isn't here, and that I am going to let that one slide."

"Sure father, as you say." Deaother laughed.

They stopped a little away from the gates, along with the troops. Deaother didn't feel as scared as he thought he would have felt, knowing that the main, bloody battle of this entire war was taking place now, and that he was a part of it. Now that he thought about it, his entire family was a part of it, except his mother, who perhaps was the only who wasn't under a death threat, yet.

"People of Alagaesssia, hear usss!" A voice boomed from outside the gates. "You can sssee me, and the army behind me, and this mussst tell you of our prowesss . . . we are here for war, to conquer and rule. Join usss and aid usss peacefully, and you ssshall be rewarded . . . otherwissse . . . you ssshall be annihilated." The unmistakable voice of a Ra'zac said. Deaother felt his thoughts shift as he heard the voice of the creature which he hated the most.

"Why hello, General, it has been a long time hasn't it?" Eragon the First shouted back. Deaother smiled at the Rider's courage. "Where is your master Crugan? Off flying on his own adventures?"

"The fact that Alagaesssia hasss agreed to aid you clearsss away all our doubt . . . Men, Ra'zac, prepare yourselves!" The General's voice shouted, and as soon as he finished, a roar went up, nearly deafening to the ears. "Charge!"

Yells and shouts rent the air, shrieks from the leathery creatures above began to tear at Deaother's ears. But within moments, all these sounds were drowned, just before which he heard Eragon the First shout, "My dragon has something to say to you."

And, in response, Bid'daum let out the loudest roar that Deaother had ever heard. Every other dragon roared as well, in support to Bid'daum, and they all took to the air, flying towards the incoming army of Lethrblaka. Deaother turned to the soldiers around him, they were a mix of humans, elves, Urgal, and some dwarves who had come from Vroengard, or from Eragon's army.

"Stay alert, as soon as you hear something amiss, you are going to rush towards the source problem." Eragon told Deaother.

"What, me?" Deaother asked him in surprise.

"Yes, you and a few units under your command. Out of all the leaders here, you are the only one who has the luxury of remaining mobile . . . So do I to some extent, but you more." Eragon told him. "Now focus, and let me focus."

The battle had begun after a talk of less than a couple of sentences, and within seconds the bows were singing from outside the walls of the city. Arrows flew towards Carvahall, and Deaother watched the huge number of arrows, and smiled as all of them stopped abruptly, and fell to the ground outside the city. The Varden, and the elves, had placed wards around the city to protect themselves from the bolts.

"The wards won't hold against the boulders, we'll need to take care of them before they come too close." Eragon told him.

"Understood." Deaother said as another wave of arrows was blocked. This time, archers of Alagaesia replied in kind, and another large group of arrows went outside the city. Cries of pain followed, but the reply from the opposing army was the worst so far. The siege engines fired, and boulders flew towards Carvahall. Deaother readied himself, as did Eragon, Murtagh and several other elves and Riders. A total of twenty rocks were flying towards them.

A united cry, "Jierda!" went up from every magician except Deaother, who managed to stop the boulder in the air and send it hurtling back. More cries of pain followed as the boulder was accompanied by arrows. But a second later, there was an extremely loud ' _Thud_ ' as a huge battering ram bashed against the gates of the city. Archers sprinted to the walls and began shooting, but arrows returned as well, and many men began to fall.

This wasn't the same gate that Freohr had attacked. Freohr had destroyed the main gate, which had been hastily repaired. Deaother knew that this gate wouldn't hold forever, and so he drew his sword and readied himself for what was coming. There was another bash on the gate, and the arrows above were swirling continuously. The dragons and Lethrblaka had not met, but they were flying towards each other at breakneck speed. Deaother watched as Bid'daum led the assault, Saphira and Thorn right behind him.

There was another hit on the door, and some of the wood splintered and fell to the ground. Then there was a shout from outside, "Step back, let me handle this."

Eragon the First appeared next to Deaother, and pulled him back slightly, "Its Crugan . . . Something is wrong here."

"But you said he will be in a hurry to-" Deaother began, but Eragon raised his hand.

"We all make mistakes, now we need to work this out . . . will he still be in a hurry?" He asked Eragon the First.

"I have a feeling he will want to hurry to his place of power." Eragon the First said. "But now get ready, he is going to-"

The gate was blasted apart, bits of wood flew in every direction. Deaother gazed into the huge cloud of dust that was present where the gate had been some time ago. A tall person in dark person stood there. He was bald, and a white sword hung on belt. As the dust cleared, Deaother was able to see the army behind preparing to attack. Their weapons were ready, and their leader, Crugan, raised his hands to his sides, "Death to Alagaesia!"

With yells, the army charged into Carvahall. "I shall attack Crugan, but you two must come to aid me when you can." Eragon the First said, and drew a blazing white sword, dazzling anyone who saw it. Deaother nodded, as did Eragon, both facing the soldiers who were coming towards them.

"Focus, I know you haven't been in the front lines before . . . swing your sword up as soon as they are close enough." Eragon said.

"What if I blast them back with fire?" Deaother asked him with a smile.

"I guess that will work too." Eragon replied, then shouted for everyone else to hear. "Do not let them get past you! We are going to hold them here, keep them away from the castle."

The soldiers ahead of them were charging in perfect, sideways lines. Other than Deaother, Eragon and some other Riders, every other person in the front lines was wielding extremely long spears. Deaother held his sword ready, and raised his other palm to work his powers.

 _Let different elements take effect in different parts of your body._ Deaother thought to himself, and slowly let lightning rise across his right hand, in which he held his sword, and fire coat his left hand, which was raised. His legs were covered by earth and stone. He was ready to face what was coming.

The opposing army clashed onto them, men imbedding themselves into pikes, or cutting past only to be smashed back by the second line. Arrows flew towards the broken gate, killing many who tried to enter.

Deaother yelled and sent out a huge blast of fire, incinerating five men in one go. Both Eragons nodded at him, and Eragon the First charged ahead, cutting past men as easily as if they were sticks of wood fixed firm on the ground. Deaother turned to Eragon, who bellowed, "Charge! Give them hell!"

Deaother sprinted forward along with his father, who was comparatively faster. They neared the gate, enemy soldiers were still pouring in. Deaother slashed apart a man who tried to hack him into two, arrows whistled past him, embedding flesh and bone. Shouts went up from both armies as swords cut soldiers apart.

Eragon beheaded a man, thrust his sword through another man, and jumped back as five bolts of lightning killed more than fifteen men. "There's more where that came from!" Deaother yelled, and threw five huge fireballs at the gate, killing more men than he knew. The invaders were still coming in, the entire army was pouring in from outside, but Deaother knew that they had to block off this gate. He charged forward, moving with the soldiers of his own army, while Eragon moved ahead ifrom another direction, as did Murtagh.

Cutting past several more invaders, the defenders reached the perimeter of the gates, where soldiers just kept coming. Deaother slashed a man's hand off, then killing him off with thrust through the heart, parried a blow off his sword, kicked his attacker away and turned the man limp with lightning. He turned to face the gate, and thought of a new idea. The ground below him was marble, a stone, which he could control.

But before he could contemplate anything, a siege engine fired a boulder, which flew right at the city, tore apart the wards, and smashed right into the upper part of the gate. In the next instant, a huge cloud of dust and flying pieces of rock came up. The boulder had reduced what remained of the gates, and the walls next to them, into rubble. Bits and pieces of stone flew in every direction.

"Get back!" Deaother shouted, and was surprised to see that every soldier, whether from his army or not, obeyed him and jumped away from what remained of the gates as bits of rock flew in every direction. Deaother sheathed his sword then, and with both his hands, sent both lightning and fire together towards the broken portion, from where more soldiers were coming.

Fire and lightning together claimed the life of anyone whom tried to climb the rubble and enter the city, and Deaother only stopped when one of the opposing soldiers already in the city charged at him with his sword raised. Deaother knocked him back with a blast of wind, and ended his life with a blazing torrent of fire.

 _Deaother! The southern gate is under attack!_ A voice shouted in his mind, whom he recognised to be Eragon.

"Captains!" Deaother shouted, and three of them hurried to him. "The southern gate is under attack, we need to assist the troops there."

"Yes sir." They said, and looked at him intently.

"Err . . . follow me!" Deaother said, and they yelled for their troops to follow them.

Deaother turned and hurried towards the main gate, with the troops hurrying after him.

"Crugan!" Eragon the First shouted. The Shade had climbed to the walls of the city, and sprinting on. The man was wearing his usual attire, a dark armor, dark robes and a white sword to match his bone white skin. He stopped running then, and turned to look at Eragon the First, who raised his sword at him, "You looked surprised." Eragon the First said.

"I am, and so are you. You didn't expect me to actually play right into your hands, did you?" Crugan smirked. The bald Shade drew his own sword and held it ready to his side.

"Looks like you know how to play along as time flies as well." Eragon the First said.

"Now, you didn't expect me to keep talking like an oiled gentle tongue of the past, the vernacular of the present is so much more easy to use . . . so, have you anything more in mind than to just talk?" Crugan asked him.

"Oh yes." Eragon the First replied and sprinted forward. Crugan smiled and parried his blow, but Eragon the First gracefully turned around, whipping his sword along with him. It knocked Crugan's sword aside, and Eragon the First stabbed at him, but Crugan dodged his attack, and slashed back with ease. Eragon the First deflected his blow and swerved forward along Crugan's with his own, moving around and punching him across his face with his cheek. Crugan stumbled back and smirked.

"I am pretty sure your poor old mate could do better than that." Crugan said, and stepped back with his free hand raised to the sky. "Pardon me, old friend, but the air is waiting for me."

"Oh no, it is-" Eragon the First began to shout, but a huge Lethrblaka swerved down and lifted Crugan up with its claws. Eragon the First watched him go, with a mixture of anger and a little surprise. The Lethrblaka was enormous, its size comparable to that of Bid'daum. Eragon the First wondered how old that creature could be.

 _Bid'daum, I need you!_ Eragon the First told his dragon.

"What are we supposed to do?" One of the captains asked Deaother as they sped through the streets of Carvahall.

"Hold those men off as long as we have to." Deaother replied, leading them down the roads.

It took them several minutes, as the gate was on the other side of the city, but the units were mostly of elves and Urgals, which was why they were able to keep up with Deaother. The urgals grabbed the dwarves and humans of the units and ran while holding them or hoisting them on their shoulders, much to the protest of their passengers.

They reached to see five more units of soldiers ready with the spears in the lead, bows nocked with arrows being aimed at the gate. The gate was being bashed by a battering ram, and the guards on the walls were shooting arrows and continuously, as were some other soldiers who were shooting blindly above the walls. Deaother hurried to the top of the walls, while the units took position with the other soldiers.

"Hellfire." Deaother muttered as he saw what lay on the other side of the walls. Thousands of Ra'zac stood ahead of them, and below, fifteen of them were heaving an extremely heavy ram against the gate, which had already been destroyed once by Freohr. "Urgals! Go to the front line! Archers keep shooting your arrows ahead of the walls!" Deaother yelled at the soldiers behind him. He himself jumped down and said, "Elves, and any other magician, use magic to strengthen the gates."

Within moments, his orders had been followed, and the effect of the battering ram seemed to be nulled. Arrows swerved towards them, but Deaother knocked all of them out of the air and looked down at the Ra'zac who were still trying to use the battering ram. This should stop you. Deaother thought and let fire and lightning cover his arms, and set the ram on fire, and lightning claimed the life of almost eight Ra'zac. The rest scurried away from the gate and the burning ram.

"Sire, they are scaling the walls!" A shout came from behind, and Deaother turned to see hooks falling onto the wall, and setting firmly as the ropes tied to them were pulled taut. He turned to the units quickly, "Get those hooks off the walls, hurry!" He ordered and turned back to the army.

More arrows flew towards them, and Deaother sent a huge blast of air, throwing them all back. The Ra'zac stared at him with fear, but a grappling hook flew right at him, which he grabbed in mid-air just out of reflexes. It was a big mistake.

The rope went taut, and before Deaother knew what was happening, he had been pulled off the wall. He yelled in surprise as he fell off the wall, towards the throng of Ra'zac who all stared at him with triumph in their eyes and swords in their hands. Deaother focused then, in midair, and sent a huge blast of fire right below him, burning several Ra'zac. The rest backed away hurriedly, and he rolled to his feet on the ground.

Now, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Ahead of him loomed an army of Ra'zac who wanted to kill him, and behind was a gate. He drew his sword then, and held it ready, while the Ra'zac ahead of him just clicked to each other and laughed.

"Laugh at me, will you? Well, let's see what you do now!" Deaother shouted and sent five bolts of lightning ahead, killing twenty Ra'zac in one go. The rest of them stopped laughing and drew their swords.

 _Father . . . I am going to need some help._ Deaother told Eragon.

 _Why is that?_ Eragon asked.

 _I err . . . got locked outside Carvahall, alright?_ Deaother told, exasperated as a Ra'zac charged at him, sprinting. Deaother blasted him back with wind.

 _Just great, I don't know how you do manage to do things like that, but help is on its way._ Eragon told him.

 _That's nice to hear._ Deaother replied and raised his sword at a Ra'zac who tried to come closer to him. "Stay back, or your friends will burn along with you."

"There is only one of him, and so many of us." A man surprisingly shouted, among the horde of Ra'zac. "Let us run him over."

"You wouldn't want to do that, trust me." Deaother said, but backed away slowly. The Ra'zac, or the humans, were not scared of him anymore.

"Let us get him, come on!" The man shouted, and the Ra'zac began to run towards him. He flattened himself against the gates and prepared to use his powers again, but there was an extremely loud roar from up above, and the Ra'zac stopped charging towards him. Deaother looked up, then ducked as an arrow flew right at him.

Bid'daum dived out of the sky and landed right in front of Deaother, slashing and roaring, fire erupting from his maw. The dragon used his tail to clear out space, and the Ra'zac retreated hurriedly from the huge dragon. His talons swept away scores of Ra'zac, and the dragon turned to Deaother, who was just astounded.

Even if Deaother craned his neck as high as he could, he couldn't see Bid'daum head, the dragon was just enormous. His wings would have covered two Saphiras, and his tail was thicker than Deaother's body. "Deaother, come on!" Someone shouted, who turned out to be Eragon the First. He was sitting somewhere on Bid'daum.

"Right." Deaother said, running towards the dragon, and climbed up his hindleg, jumped onto his back and ran down it up to his collar bone, where he saw Eragon the First sitting on a saddle. Deaother strapped himself behind him, and Bid'daum took off. "Where is Crugan?" Deaother asked him, and looked around. With just two flaps, they were hundreds of feet in the air.

"What?" Eragon the First asked him back.

"Where is Crugan?" Deaother shouted.

"He is up there, on that huge Lethrblaka, and that's where we are headed now." Eragon the First said.

"Actually, I was hoping you would drop me back in the city." Deaother said slowly.

"What?" Eragon the First shouted. "The wind is too loud at this speed."

"Nothing!" Deaother said hurriedly.

They flapped up to the clouds within moments, and for the first time Deaother saw how the battle in the sky was going on. Dragon and Lethrblaka were clashing, kicking, bashing and attacking each other with impunity. Deaother spotted Saphira bashing Lethrblaka one after another, but the dragons were less in number, which was an obvious fact. They were putting up a brave fight, but whether they would win was a very uncertain matter.

As Bid'daum neared the aerial battle, Deaother was able to see more clearly what a disadvantage the dragons had. For every dragon, there were at least three Lethrblaka. Some of the younger dragons were having a much more difficult time when more than one Lethrblaka attacked them. The stress fell onto the senior dragons because they would try to help the younger ones as well as fend off the ones already attacking them.

Bid'daum smashed his way into the battle, knocking two Lethrblaka out of his way. As another one came for him, He used his immense mass to break the creature's flight. He grabbed the Lethrblaka by the neck with his maw, and using his fore legs, he tore the creature's wing apart. The Lethrblaka screeched loudly, but Bid'daum bit apart its neck, making the Lethrblaka fall silent and fall to the ground with a torn wing.

On Bid'daum, Deaother was feeling nauseated and disgusted. Green blood rained down from above, and Deaother did his best to avoid it. Bid'daum roared again as two Lethrblaka tried to tackle him from above and below. He smashed his fore leg into the above one's belly, knocked the other one back with his tail, and let out pure white fire, incinerating one of them. The other one, which was below them, smashed into Bid'daum's belly, and the dragon growled in irritation. He grabbed the Lethrblaka with his hind leg and sent it hurling into another.

"Are they dead?" Deaother asked Eragon the First as both the Lethrblaka fell towards the ground.

"One them has a broken back bone, while the other is trying to regain altitude . . . So only one is dead, the other is injured." Eragon the First replied simply.

Deaother looked around again, and saw Phiole slashing apart a Lethrblaka with his talons. The Lethrblaka screeched, and two more emerged above the dragon and grabbed him by the wings. Phiole roared loudly and tried to knock them away, but they were holding him tight, and were beginning to flap in opposite directions, holding onto his wings. Phiole roared in pain and tried breathing fire at them, but they pulled even harder, making his lose his aim and roar again in agony.

 _They are tearing him apart._ Deaother realized. "We have to help him!" Deaother shouted and pointed at Phiole. Eragon the First spotted the dragon, and looked back at Deaother, who raised his eyebrows at him.

"Use your powers, we won't be able to reach him in time." Eragon the First said. A Lethrblaka came right at Bid'daum, but he just knocked the creature out of the sky by bashing it with his foreleg. The dragon then swerved around and headed for the brown dragon.

Deaother turned to look at Phiole; blood was beginning to come from the edge of his wings where the Lethrblaka were holding him. Deaother raised his palm then, and sent a bolt of lightning which struck one of the Lethrblaka. The creature screeched, but didn't let go. Deaother sent another bolt, but it was of no use.

"What do I do?" Deaother shouted in frustration.

"Use wind!" Eragon the First replied.

Deaother then sent a huge torrent of air towards one Lethrblaka, right at its outstretched wings. The Lethrblaka yelped as it began to be pushed away. Deaother then hurried sent two bolts of lightning at its hindlegs which were holding Phiole. The Lethrblaka let go then, shrieking loudly, and was blown away with the wind that Deaother sent again. Phiole roared then, breathed fire at the Lethrblaka, but he missed.

Deaother hurriedly pointed his palm at the fire and sent it blazing right at the Lethrblaka. The Lethrblaka let out a cry of agony as it was burnt apart, and let go off Phiole, who hurriedly began to flap away. Deaother waved him, and the dragon roared and nodded in thanks.

"Impressive." Eragon the First said. "And you will appreciate going back down, won't you?"

Deaother raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand you."

"Jump onto that dragon whom you helped, as he is going to go towards the city anyway." Eragon the First told him as they managed to come alongside Phiole, who turned to look at them.

"What about you?" Deaother asked him.

"I am going to go after Crugan, but it will be better if it is just me and Bid'daum." Eragon the First said.

"Fine." Deaother said, and unstrapped himself. He crouched and across Bid'daum's huge back, and moved as close as he could to Phiole. "See you after the battle." Deaother told him and smiled.

"After the battle then, my young friend." Eragon the First nodded. Deaother turned to Phiole, who seemed to have understood what Deaother was trying to do. Deaother ran forward and jumped onto Phiole's back. The dragon growled, and Deaother realized that there was no saddle. He hurriedly grabbed the dragon's neck spike and climbed to his collar, where he sat, somewhat.

 _What are you doing?_ Phiole asked him.

 _I need to get back to Carvahall._ Deaother replied.

 _Right . . . I am not going there._ Phiole said.

 _You are injured!_ Deaother replied.

 _So? I need to help-_

 _Deaother, where are you?!_ A voice shouted in both their minds.

 _In the sky, father._ Deaother replied.

 _The units at the southern gate need your help!_ Eragon told him. _And hurry up!_

 _As fast as I can._ Deaother replied and nudged Phiole, who growled and dived out of the skies. He flew towards the city, and within moments, was above the southern gate. It was still holding firm, but the Ra'zac seemed to have brought another battering ram, which was bashing the gate incessantly.

 _Will you be able to take out that ram?_ Deaother thought.

 _Yes._ Phiole replied and glided above the army of Ra'zac and humans. Arrows flew towards them, but Deaother knocked them all away. Phiole raised his maw, and breathed fire right at the group of Ra'zac near the gates. The ram caught fire again, as did the Ra'zac. Phiole landed and swept them all away, clearing the area near the gate.

Extremely loud shrieks followed them from above, and Deaother looked up to see almost twenty Lethrblaka diving towards the city. Phiole's roar brought him back, and he looked around. _I am going to jump!_ He said, unstrapping himself.

 _Jump where?_ Phiole asked, flabbergasted.

 _At the gate!_ Deaother replied, and began to stand as Phiole stood straight. The Ra'zac were shooting arrows at him, but Deaother was knocking them back every time. _Here I go._ Deaother told him, took a deep breath and was about to start running when his father contacted him again.

 _The north gate is fine now, we are keeping them out. Deaother, if you are done with what's happening at the southern gate, you need to get to the roof tops._ Eragon said.

 _What? There are archers there, why should I-_

 _Because those Lethrblaka are coming for the city, and they have many Ra'zac riding on them._ Eragon told him.

 _They are going to try and kill us from inside!_ Deaother said.

 _Exactly, now move son! And ask Phiole to return to the air once he drops you. You are the only person who can afford to move from place to place._ Eragon said. _Now hurry, we don't have much time._

 _Phiole?_ Deaother said, knowing that the dragon had been listening to the entire conversation.

 _On it._ Phiole replied, and flapped to the air. Deaother saw the Lethrblaka nearing the city, and realized that his father was right. There were five Ra'zac on each of them, and some of them had already been dropped off on the buildings near the castle. Phiole was heading for them. _How will you move from one building to another?_

 _I'll jump . . . don't worry about me._ Deaother said.

The Ra'zac were already on the rooftops of several buildings, but Deaother was fortunate because most of the buildings they were on were in a straight line from near the castle to the walls of the city, and Deaother was going to go from the tallest of them to the shortest. There were some on other buildings as well, and on every building the archers were now engaging the incoming Ra'zac.

 _I am jumping!_ Deaother said as Phiole alighted just some feet above the building, where the Ra'zac and archers were hacking at each other.

 _Have fun._ Phiole said as he jumped down, rolled and stood up.

 _Sure thing._ Deaother thought as he immediately attacked a Ra'zac, who clicked in surprise but managed to block the blow. Deaother pushed him back blasted him away with wind, turned around just in time to parry a blow from another Ra'zac. He knocked the Ra'zac's sword to the side and drove his own blade through its middle. Pulling his sword out, he blasted back three more of them, two of which fell off the roof. There were eight Ra'zac more.

Two of them came for him, but Deaother incinerated them, while the archers managed to take out the others. He looked around, sheathed his sword, then sprinted in the direction of the building where the archers were still struggling with the creatures. The wind whipped his face as he ran as fast he could, his legs pumped with energy and his heart beats quickened. Reaching the edge, he leapt off powerfully.

He flew for almost three heart beats, and soldiers below and behind looked at him in surprise. He landed on the roof. There were just five remaining. He killed them within moments with his new powers.

"There are more Ra'zac there." A man shouted, and nocked an arrow. Deaother hurried to the edge of the roof and searched the buildings. The next building he had to go to was of a different height, it was one level shorter than this one. Deaother hurried to the other end of the roof and took a running start. He leapt off the edge and sailed forward. He had crossed half the distance when he realized that he wouldn't make it to the roof of the building. He hurried stretched out his hands, when he neared the building, and grabbed the handhold of its roof, hanging by his hands.

The Ra'zac were fighting and killing archers on the building top, Deaother had to help them, so he heaved himself up. He climbed onto the handhold, jumped down and was against almost twenty Ra'zac, who were slaughtering the remaining eight soldiers. "No!' Deaother shouted and drew his sword, charging. With a quick thrust, he sliced apart a Ra'zac, delved the blade into another's neck, kicked a mace away and burnt the wielder apart.

He jumped back then and blasted five of them off the building with wind. The remaining backed away from him,, but the archers shot three of them down. The remaining nine turned to each other, clicking and discussing. Then, they turned to Deaother and charged.

Deaother raised his palm, as the archers shot arrows. Six of them fell with arrows, and the remaining died with boulders smashed into their faces.

"Where else are they?" Deaother asked them, placing his foot on top of the handhold.

"Sire . . . they are on that balcony." An archer said, and pointed at the castle.

Deaother turned around, and his blood almost chilled, there were Ra'zac climbing the walls of the castle with hooks and ropes, and they were heading for the broken parts of the Throne Room. From there, they could easily reach any floor of the castle.

"Galbatorix's scrawny nose!" Deaother shouted. "Father, they are infiltrating the castle!"


	99. Chapter 98

**Chapter 98: The Battle Worsens**

"They are in the castle." Eragon said, turning to Murtagh.

"The Ra'zac? How?" Murtagh asked him.

"The Lethrblaka, or they might have sneaked past the guards, it doesn't matter! What matters is that I am going there right now, and I need you and the other seniors here to handle this, and send about twelve other Riders and some units at the southern gate. We cannot be pressed from both sides." Eragon instructed. "My namesake is off doing his own thing."

"They are coming back!" Someone bellowed.

Eragon, Murtagh, and the other senior Riders, had secured the broken gate. The boulder had destroyed it, and had stopped the flow of incoming soldiers for a while, giving the defenders time to kill all the invaders already inside the city. Now, the broken gate and wall would hopefully ensure a slower infiltration from the invaders, and the defenders would have to kill them as they came.

"Brother, I will handle it . . . go, and may luck be with you." Murtagh said.

"Stay alive, Murtagh . . . and get yourself and these people back inside." Eragon told him, grasping him by the shoulder. Ahead of them, the invaders were preparing for another charge.

Murtagh smiled. "Go, Eragon, they need your help."

Eragon nodded and sprinted down the street towards the castle. Their main plan had been to divert all attention from the castle to the armies in the city, and to make Eragon the First look the like the sole leader of the defenders. The other monarchs would then naturally go out of question, but now, Crugan not only knew that there were other monarchs, he also knew where they were. This meant that there was something wrong with their plan, or someone had betrayed them. Eragon trusted himself to know that there was nothing wrong with the plan, which meant that they had a traitor. This led to the next big question, who was the traitor?

Eragon sprinted down the streets, past the soldiers and guards, all of whom gazed at him with surprise. He sped past them and reached the keep, which had its gate closed. "Open it, I am Eragon Kingslayer." Eragon shouted. The gate opened just a little, and Eragon squeezed through.

At that very moment, there was rustle on the top of the wall, and Eragon looked up to see someone there, crouching. Eragon watched, then borrowed a bow and an arrow from the soldier and trained it onto the person. But whoever it was, the person leapt from the wall, right towards the ground, a drop of almost sixty feet. Eragon knew he could survive it, but what about this person? The person neared the ground, and stopped in midair, then landed on his feet and hurried towards him. Eragon kept the bow pointed at the person.

As the person came into the light, Eragon gave a sigh of relief. It was Deaother, and he eyed the bow with a raised eyebrow, "Seriously, father?"

"Sorry, son." Eragon replied and gave the bow and arrow back to the soldier, then turned to him. "We need to get inside the castle, there is a situation with the monarchs . . . and the Ra'zac have entered the castle, but we must handle it. Just open the doors for us." Eragon told him.

Within moments, they were both inside the castle, hurrying up the stairs.

The number of Ra'zac entering the city from the broken ruins of the northern gates had been increasing. As more and more Ra'zac kept on coming, the number of soldiers under Murtagh's command went on decreasing. The earlier huge bulk had reduced as more units had been sent to the southern gates, and now extremely less remained.

"If we stay, I don't think we will last long enough . . ." Murtagh muttered to the person next to him. He knew it was Nasuada, It wasn't possible for it to be anybody else.

"True, but we can't retreat." Nasuada replied.

They had managed to push back the invaders for the moment, but more would come soon. Murtagh strode to the head of the defenders, and looked around at the few hundred soldiers that remained. They were going to need reinforcements from the south, which is why he yelled. "You." He pointed at an elf. "Go inform the captains at the south that we need at least five units here."

"Yes sire." The elf said and sprinted off.

Murtagh then turned to face the broken wall of the city, and sighed as arrows began to fly once more. The archers on the rooftops above were shooting arrows at the invaders as they tried to come towards them. Murtagh readied Zar'roc, and next to him, Nasuada readied her own sword. All around them, the defenders formed a formation, spears in the lead, swords, hammers and maces following them. There were just some hundred soldiers remaining there, while there were more than two thousand now at the southern gate. Murtagh didn't know why or who had suddenly decided to be so generous, but it was ill considered.

"Err . . . I think their numbers have increased." Someone said. Murtagh stared up, and realized that the person was right. The invaders had been coming in haphazardly, but now the group coming was huge. It was larger than the group of defenders present there, by a huge scale.

Angrenost stood by the window of his room, and turned to the other monarchs who were sitting on the couches and sofas in his room. He nodded, "I think we are doing quite well."

"We better be." Yurgrovazh muttered.

"I still feel we should have been involved in the battle." Vaelia said, looking at them all. "It's almost insulting to be sitting here while our soldiers are killing and being killed out there."

"It indeed is, but there is hardly anything that we can do about it." Leliana replied.

Vaelia watched Yurgrovazh fiddling with his axe, then turned to Angrenost and Leliana who were now arm in arm near the window, and sighed. She missed Deaother. He was fighting outside, and she was here inside, like some weak human Queen. She did feel insulted.

Suddenly, there was a soft sound of footsteps on carpet, something which Vaelia nearly missed. But when she caught it, she jumped to her feet and looked around the room. "I have a strange feeling that we have company."

"You do?" Angrenost asked.

"Yes . . . come on; let us check outside the room." Vaelia said. "Yurgrovazh, please take the right while I take the left."

"Prince Angrenost and Princess Leliana can take center?" Yurgrovazh turned to them. They nodded, Angrenost and Vaelia drawing their swords while Leliana grabbed a bow and nocked an arrow.

They quietly moved out of the room and walked down the corridor, towards the left, Vaelia in the lead. She stopped then, as did the other who were following her. She could hear footsteps, two of them, thrashing their way towards them from one direction. And from the other direction, she could hear at least more than ten pairs of feet trotting off somewhere else, but not towards them.

The two footsteps became extremely loud now, all four of them could hear the sound. Angrenost tensed, as did Yurgrovazh. They stayed put for a moment, then Vaelia said, "Let's move back, up the corridor."

They hurried in the other direction, and Yurgrovazh peeked around the corner and he turned around slowly, "There are Ra'zac coming towards us from here."

"Vaelia, get away from there!" Someone said, and they all turned to see Deaother and Eragon there, who gestured for them to hurry towards them. Yurgrovazh took another look, and nodded at the others. They ran to the other end and Eragon quickly explained the situation to them.

"We can get out using the front gate." Eragon said, and they all followed him as he led them down a different corridor. Vaelia raised her eyebrow at Deaother, who nodded and put an arm around her slowly.

The group moved towards the gate, Eragon in the lead. The castle was dark, other than the corridor where they had been earlier. They tried to walk as quietly as they could, but Deaother felt tensed as they could run into the Ra'zac at any corner of the corridors.

They reached the stairs, and began to hurry down it when suddenly there was a shuffle of feet behind them. Deaother looked back, then grabbed Vaelia's hand and began to lead her down the stairs even faster. But suddenly Eragon stopped, holding a hand in front of him. "They are coming from downstairs." He whispered.

"And they are coming from upstairs." Deaother whispered back, and drew his sword. Eragon drew his own, as did Angrenost and Vaelia. Yurgrovazh readied his axe. Eragon led them further downstairs to the lower level, and hurried down the hall there, took them to the left and stopped in the darkness.

"This is no good . . . they can smell us." Eragon told them. "We are going to have to fight our way out of here."

"Then the front gate is not an option, because there is another set of doors we will need to open ourselves." Deaother told him.

"True . . . so, any ideas?" Eragon asked.

"Don't you have any?" Angrenost asked him back.

"I do . . . but they involve fighting to the throne room, flying on the back of a dragon and joining the battle waging outside." Eragon replied.

"I think that's the only plan we can have." Yurgrovazh muttered.

"Wait . . . if the Ra'zac entered the castle from the Throne room, from above then why are they coming in from downstairs as well?" Deaother asked them.

Eragon raised his eyebrows at him. "Do you want to find out?" Eragon asked.

"Yes, I do." Deaother replied.

"Sorry, son, but no. We need to get out of the castle, and get away from here." Eragon replied and got to his feet, then peeked across the corner. "Come on."

They moved outside and neared the stairs, Eragon kept his sword ready. It was almost completely dark, except for some moonlight streaming in from somewhere above. They hurried up one flight of stairs and Eragon stopped them. "They are just ahead of us . . ."

Deaother raised an eyebrow at him, but Eragon beckoned him to come closer. "No way out without a fight . . . come on!" Eragon said, and walked to the entrance of the next level. Deaother followed him, both their swords out.

"I really don't think this was a good idea." Deaother muttered as he saw what lay ahead of them.

They were face to face with about two dozen Ra'zac, who all turned to them and began clicking at each other. Eragon stared at them for a moment, then readied his sword as the Ra'zac drew their own weapons. Deaother prepared to use his powers.

"Where are your leadersss?" One Ra'zac asked, standing in their lead.

"Weren't you outside with the others?" Deaother asked, recognizing the Ra'zac's armor. It was the same one whom Eragon the First had greeted.

"Anssswer the quessstion!" The Ra'zac shouted.

"Back off!" Deaother replied loudly, and raised his palm.

"No, stop!" Eragon said, pulling his hand down. "Wait." Eragon told him, then turned back to the Ra'zac. "We will tell you where the monarchs are, if you tell us first how you entered the castle."

The Ra'zac general looked at them, then turned around and looked at the other Ra'zac . "Fine, I will tell you . . . we entered the castle through a tunnel."

"There are many tunnels, I will need more than that." Eragon replied.

"Thisss one wasss created . . . by one of you to let usss in." The Ra'zac replied.

"Where is it?" Eragon asked.

"In the lowessst level, now where are the leadersss?" The Ra'zac general asked. Eragon's eyes stared firm into the Ra'zac 's for a moment, then he smiled.

"Right here . . ." Eragon replied, and Vaelia and the others appeared behind them. "Now, Deaother!" He shouted.

Deaother raised his palm and blasted fire, killing four Ra'zac. The rest of them, along with the General, scattered across the corridors, heading in different directions. "Up the stairs, come on." Eragon said and tapped Deaother's shoulder, leading them up the stairs at full sprint. The sped up a couple of flights, but stopped again when the Ra'zac emerged above them as well. Eragon slashed one of them apart, while Deaother ran one through with his sword. There were eight more Ra'zac ahead of them.

"They are coming from behind as well." Yurgrovazh shouted, hefting his axe.

"Then give them everything we have got!" Deaother shouted, and another Ra'zac fell with an arrow in its neck. Vaelia appeared next to him and attacked another one.

"Deaother, help Yurgrovazh fend off the people at the rear." Eragon told him.

"Yes father." Deaother said, and shot a bolt of lightning at one of them, killing it. He then turned around and leapt down the entire flight of stairs, and ended up next to Yurgrovazh, who nodded at him, then swung his huge axe around the corner.

Deaother thrust his sword through the heart of another one, and pushed the Ra'zac back onto the ones which were coming towards them. He then raised his palm and sent a torrent of fire onto the group of Ra'zac, killing almost all of them. Yurgrovazh stared at him in surprise, and he just smiled and tapped the Urgal on the elbow. "Let's go."

They hurried up the stairs to see that Eragon, Vaelia, Leliana and Angrenost had taken care of the Ra'zac and were waiting for them. Eragon nodded, and they sped up the stairs again, and they were hurrying up for another level when they reached the Throne Room. Deaother now realized why the Throne had been moved downstairs. There was a huge, gaping hole on the far wall on the room. All the furniture had been removed, it had been in complete splinters and broken parts anyway. The ramp on which Freohr had tried to escape was still present.

"Right, Phiole and Valinor will be here to pick us up." Eragon said, hurrying to the ramp. "Come on."

"Wait right there." A raspy voice said suddenly. "I think I have some unfinished business with one of you." They all turned around then, and saw that there was a person at the doorway, wearing simple clothes not even close to being meant for war. "Don't we, Angrenost?"

Deaother turned to Angrenost, whose expression of confusion turned to that of rage within moments. "Freohr." He muttered, and he leapt forward, sword drawn and swung at him.

"Oh, just as angry as you always are." Freohr jumped to the side and began to run up the corridor, back the way they had come. Surprisingly, he was human size again. Angrenost seemed to have noticed, because he gave chase.

"No, Angrenost wait!" Eragon shouted, but the Prince sprinted after Freohr. "Hellfire! . . . Alright, Yurgrovazh, Vaelia and Leliana, you all get onto Phiole when he shows up. Deaother, we are going to get Angrenost back."

"Lead Rider, I am sorry, but we cannot do that . . . we are not going to leave him behind." Vaelia said.

"I agree with her." Yurgrovazh added.

"I love that man, I am not leaving without him." Leliana finished.

"Angrenost, you just proved how much of Roran is in you." Eragon muttered and nodded, "Fine, stay behind me." And he hurried outside.

"The northern defense is down." An urgal captain said.

"By Galbatorix's thrice blasted bald head!" Everaun swore. "We are just waiting for nothing here, we should head in that direction and stop those invaders."

"But what about this gate?" Another captain, a man, asked.

"Jhonas, have we been attacked for the past half hour?" Everaun asked him.

"No." Jhonas replied simply.

"I think I should take a look . . . I doubt if there still is an army out there." Everaun muttered, and climbed up the stairs hurriedly.

There was a army out there, but they weren't attacking the gate or the walls anymore, because they weren't standing still anymore. They were moving towards the left. Everaun gaped at the army, then hurried down the stairs, "They are moving! They are moving!"

"Where are they going?" The urgal asked.

"I suppose they are going left . . . perhaps towards the northern gate, they can infiltrate the city from there . . . come on, we should head in that direction and stop that force before it reaches the castle." Everaun shouted.

There was silence for a while, then the captains began to lead their units towards the north, hurrying to face the incoming force.

"Come on Prince, I haven't got all day!" Freohr was yelling as he sprinted down the steps.

"This one is the last one that you are going to live." Angrenost replied, chasing. They ran down one level, then another, and another. It took him a while to realize this, but Freohr seemed to be leading him lower and lower.

"Angrenost, just stop for a moment!" A shout came from above, it turned out to be Deaother.

"Prince, I am just out of your reach . . . come on, take your revenge!" Freohr was shouting.

"Out of my reach, eh?" Angrenost muttered, sheathing his sword, and climbed onto the handholds of the stairs, then jumped onto Freohr, who was on the lower flight of stairs. "Got you!" Angrenost saind triumph, forcing Freohr to the ground.

"Get off." Freohr shouted, grabbing Angrenost by the shoulders. But Angrenost punched him and pressed him down. Freohr growled slightly and kicked Angrenost in the stomach, making him fly back, hit the wall and fall to the ground. "Now, let us end this." Freohr said and drew his sword. But Angrenost looked up and dived forward, his shoulder smashing into Freohr's chest. Freohr dropped his sword in surprise, it clanged down the steps loudly. Angrenost got up hurriedly, but was punched hard across his face. He looked back and saw Freohr getting to his feet.

"This ends now!" Angrenost shouted and drew his sword.

"Oh yes, it does." Freohr said, and delved his hand into his pockets. When Angrenost began to come closer, Freohr pulled out an explosive, the same one that his men had used when Angrenost's father had been killed. He grabbed the string, and pulled it powerfully. Within moments, sparks were created on its top. The explosive was rigged. "Looks like I got you, in the end, eh Prince?"

Angrenost couldn't speak, he was staring at the explosive in Freohr's hand. Freohr grinned and threw it just above Angrenost, who dived straight ahead, right at Freohr, who moved to the side. Angrenost rolled down the stairs, and got to his feet with his sword ready in front of him. Behind him, the explosion took place, and it destroyed the upper stairs, the debris fell where he had been less than a moment ago. The stairwell reduced to rubble, which fell on top of each other, creating an obstacle for anyone who tried to use the stairs. Angrenost and Freohr had accidentally locked the others in the upper levels.

"Look at what you have done!" Freohr shouted, but Angrenost just shook his head and got ready.

"Wait till I am done with you." Angrenost told him angrily and charged at him. Freohr picked up his own sword in a flash, and parried Angrenost's thrust. Angrenost tried to train his sword through, but Freohr dodged the blow. Behind them, Eragon and the others stopped just in front of the huge rubble, and Eragon let out an exasperated shout and turned to Deaother, who shrugged, saying, "I can't control these . . . They aren't stone exactly."

Angrenost slashed at Freohr's knees, but he managed to jump over the sword. Freohr retaliated with a jab, which Angrenost knocked to the side and got into his offence again. He hacked at Freohr's head, but Freohr blocked the blow and pushed Angrenost back powerfully. Angrenost staggered, and ducked under a swing, smacked aside a stab, and blocked a slash. He pushed the sword to the side and sliced forward, aiming for Freohr's neck. But Freohr leaned back, and blade missing his flesh narrowly.

"Oh, haven't you improved? This is great!" He shouted and punched Angrenost with his free hand, and kicked him back. "Now you can chase me, and we can have an epic battle in front yours and mine troops." Freohr muttered and hurried down the stairs again.

"Angrenost, don't do it! Wait for us." Eragon shouted.

Angrenost looked up at them, and his eyes met Leliana's, "No . . . If I don't end this now, it will haunt me forever."

"This is not a question of your pride, it is a question of the survival of Alagaesia, we cannot lose you!" Deaother shouted.

"Then pray that I will manage to kill Freohr." Angrenost shouted back, and sprinted down the stairs.

Angrenost ran for several minutes, searching for Freohr. He spotted him, but just for a moment, and headed off after him. He ran down more stairs than he cared to count, but now he was sure that there was no more. He had already reached the floor of the Reception Hall. There was just another flight which led to the underground rooms, which were hardly used.

Angrenost thundered down the stairs and stopped, gasping for breath. He looked around hurriedly, and spotted Freohr standing there, sneering at him. "Come on Prince . . . you are not going to get any help down here . . . let's see what you can really do."

Angrenost readied his sword then, as did Freohr, who was still smirking. Angrenost knew that he had some plan, or he was just hoping he would be able to kill Angrenost off just by bringing him down there. Whatever the plan was, Angrenost was not going to let him get through with it.

"So, Prince, how does it feel to come down here, on your own, and know that there is no other way out of this but to kill or be killed?" Freohr asked him, taking a step forward.

"To be honest." Angrenost smiled ruefully. "It feels great."

Freohr just scowled and charged at Angrenost. Angrenost jumped to the side, dodging the blade, and swung his own sword around, forcing Freohr to jump back. Angrenost then began to attack him, swinging and slashing and doing whatever he could to try and harm Freohr. Freohr parried a couple of blows, ducked under a third, and blocked the fourth. Angrenost heaved forward, but Freohr had his feet firmly placed in the ground. "You are improving Prince, very good."

"You won't be saying that once I cut off your head." Angrenost replied and pulled his sword around, managing to get it free from Freohr's. He backed off hurriedly, and parried a jab. Angrenost thrust his sword straight, right at Freohr's chest. But Freohr knocked his sword aside and swung back. Angrenost ducked and kicked his blade away, then attacked again.

"This is getting interesting!" Freohr smirked as he blocked Angrenost's blow. He twirled Angrenost's sword around, and pulled it back at the last moment. Angrenost gasped as the sword left his hand and flew to the side. Freohr smirked and slashed at Angrenost, who jumped to the side, dodging the attack. He then dived forward and punched Freohr, and grabbed his sword arm. Freohr tried to throw him back, but Angrenost kicked him in the shin, and kneed him in the abdomen, making him double over. Angrenost then twisted his hand, making him drop the sword, and pushed him back. Freohr tried to throw him off, but Angrenost kicked his chest, making him fall back even more.

Angrenost hurriedly picked up Freohr's sword and smiled. "Looks like you are in a bad position now, eh?"

"Ah, Prince . . . as annoying as always." Freohr muttered, and drew a knife. Angrenost grinned and charged. He swung the sword around, which Freohr parried with his knife, then ducked as Angrenost slashed at him, then swung again. Freohr dodged the blow again, but this time Angrenost feinted to left, but smashed the hilt of the sword right onto Freohr's face, making him yell in pain and fall back. Not stopping Angrenost sliced at him, but Freohr tried to dodge. The sword gashed his chest, crimson blood oozing out.

"Prince . . ." Freohr muttered, as Angrenost raised his sword to finish off his opponent. "You die, now!"

Angrenost swung the sword down, but Freohr rolled around, the sword struck stone and got notched completely. Angrenost swore and swung at Freohr again, but this time his blow was blocked. Angrenost gasped as the sword clanged and rebounded, striking something hard. Angrenost turned around, and froze, for before his eyes, Freohr was growing in size. Talons had grown out of the nails on his hand, and he seemed enraged.

"What in Alagaesia?" Angrenost muttered, and hurriedly backed away from Freohr, who was taking on his monstrous shape. Freohr slashed at him again, but Angrenost swung the notched sword at the same time. Freohr's talons smashed against the sword, whipping it out of Angrenost's hand. The Prince gulped, then turned tail and sprinted down the corridor, while Freohr howled behind him.

Angrenost sprinted as fast as he could, while behind him, Freohr began to gallop on all four limbs, gaining ground extremely fast. Angrenost knew that he couldn't outrun Freohr, which was why he began to try and open doors, whichever door he came across.

After three tries, he managed to open one. Behind him, Freohr was coming fast. Angrenost hurried inside the room, and closed the door and locked it by pulling out one of his geaves, and jamming it between the door's handle and the wall. He spotted a table just next to the door, which also he pushed in front of the door.

Panting, he looked around the room and was surprised to see a huge hole on the wall facing the door. He hurried to it, and saw that the hole led to a tunnel. There was a small stream of water ahead of him. Angrenost climbed into the tunnel and walked across the stream.

There was a huge smash against the door. Angrenost looked back to see the table sway with the force. It wasn't going to hold for long. Angrenost turned around and sprinted down the tunnel, looking for a way out. He kept running for a few moments, there were a couple more smashes against the door. Angrenost stopped suddenly when he saw moonlight streaming down from above. Angrenost gaped up, bemused as to why there was a wide gap in the roof, but there was another smash against the door, which brought him back to his senses.

He looked back and saw that Freohr had managed to get his hand inside, which was much larger than before and had deadly claws. Angrenost gawked for a while as Freohr began to push the table away, then he looked up. He would have to climb up the hole and get out, but as it turned out, there was no way he could climb. He touched the walls, searching for some handholds, but there were none there. The walls were wet and slippery. Angrenost groped around his pockets, and found a knife, but it wouldn't be much help to climb the walls. The hole was about ten feet above the ground, and Angrenost wasn't tall enough to reach it.

Freohr managed to push the table away, and smashed against the door again. It creaked, but the lock didn't give way, even though it had already moved enough to make a gap. Angrenost stared at it, then gulped and groped his knife into the wall. He slid it in easily, the soil wasn't that strong, and placed one foot on it and climbed up, putting his weight on the wall to steady his climb. Freohr smashed the door again, and this time it creaked and swung forward. Angrenost felt his gut wrench as Freohr howled. He hurriedly reached to the hole and held onto the edge, which was actually the ground outside, with his hands. The knife suddenly slid out with his weight, and fell to the ground. Angrenost gasped, he was now hanging with nothing but his hands.

To the side, he could hear Freohr striding towards him. Angrenost tried to pulled himself up then, and managed to get his head and shoulders out of the tunnel. As he was about pull his legs up, something grabbed his ankle. Angrenost gasped as he heard Freohr laugh, "No Prince, you are not getting away!" And Freohr pulled him down powerfully, making Angrenost fall to the floor of the tunnel painfully. Freohr laughed again, and grabbed Angrenost by the collar, then threw him forward. Angrenost blinked as he sailed through the air, and fell to the ground again.

This doesn't seem like a good idea anymore. Angrenost thought as he tried to get to his feet. But Freohr got to his first, and kicked him in the stomach when Angrenost was on his hands and knees. Angrenost fell back another yard and groaned in pain.

"Pathetic . . . you are pathetic. And this is your own fault. You chased me, you fought me, and you infuriated me." Freohr growled. Angrenost looked up at him, and blinked. "Now . . . I am pretty sure you have been hurt enough that your blood will be warm and your heartbeat fast. I am going to enjoy this." Freohr muttered and grabbed Angrenost by the neck and hoisted him up as if he was a doll. Angrenost gasped, and stared at Freohr as his wolf like face came extremely close to Angrenost. "You are going to feel my wrath."

Angrenost's mind raced as he thought for a way out, but sadly, he couldn't see any, except one, which would hardly be much help. What have I to lose? He is going to kill me anyway. Angrenost thought, and groped at Freohr's hand, trying to loosen his grip. Freohr then tapped Angrenost's chest, using his talon, and said, "I am going to bite that."

Angrenost stared at his face, the triumph in his eyes, then did something he would never have done had he thought about it. He punched Freohr's nose, surprising him, "Not if I bite you first!" Angrenost shouted, then bit Freohr's hand, clenching his teeth tightly into his flesh. Freohr howled loudly and dropped Angrenost, who then kicked at Freohr's huge shins, making him trip and fall.

"You taste horrible." Angrenost said, spitting. He then dived for his knife, which he grabbed and got to his feet, then began sprinting up the tunnel, away from Freohr and back towards the castle.

Freohr growled, "You won't get away!"

"Looks like you are not the only one who bites!" Angrenost replied, and heard Freohr yell in rage and begin to chase him.

Murtagh readied Zar'roc, but he knew that they wouldn't be able to hold the line against such a big crowd. They would have to retreat sometime or the other; and it would be better to get back with the numbers that they already had, than to run back with extremely few men.

"Retreat!" Murtagh shouted, raising Zar'roc. He grabbed Nasuada's hand and led her back along with all the other soldiers as they sprinted towards the keep in a large group.

Behind them, the invaders suddenly stopped charging, the people in the lead trying to push their way back out of the city. Murtagh looked back, and raised an eyebrow. Why are they stopping? He didn't care much, it was better for the defenders, they were getting more time to get away and regroup.

They kept sprinting down the street, and ahead of them, they were entering the next row of buildings, which were of a greater height. They were almost into the next row, and men stood ready to create barricades behind them, when there was a sudden shout. "Arrows!"

Murtagh looked up, and hurriedly ducked his head down, pulling Nasuada with him. Arrows sailed towards their group, hundreds of them. Magicians tried to stop them, but there were too many arrows, and too less people who yelled the spells in time. In the next moments, several cries of pain went up as men, elves and Urgal fell to the ground, claimed by the deadly bolts.

Murtagh and Nasuada got up, both unharmed, and Murtagh shouted, "Keep moving! We need to get under cover."

They kept moving ahead, not many had been killed by the arrows, but their numbers had been depleted. They moved for another couple of moments, when another shout went up. But this shout didn't form any words. It conveyed only one thing, absolute terror. Murtagh raised his eyebrows, and they both turned to look up at the sky.

A huge, fiery boulder was hurtling down at them, and by the time Murtagh turned to see it, it was too late . . .

The boulder flew down, just some feet above them, too close to be stopped. Murtagh looked up in one heartbeat, looked down in another, and his eyes met Nasuada's. There was surprise in them, and fear. Murtagh understood, he felt it too, but he also felt something else: The need to protect the woman he loved. He knew that the boulder would destroy their group, ruin what little defense they had left on that side of the city. But if he could save the woman in front of him, he would be at peace with the failure, as it would not be a complete loss.

"Fram!" Murtagh shouted, and Nasuada screamed, "No! Don't!" But she was blasted out of harm's way by Murtagh's magic. He then jumped down to the ground, just as Nasuada flew to the far side of the road, and fell into an alley.

"I am sorry, Eragon." Murtagh muttered.

The boulder smashed right into the group of defenders under Murtagh's command, and an extremely huge explosion charred the road and the buildings dark red with blood and soot. Murtagh saw the explosion before he felt it, and he was thrown away as the hot air pushed him back. He flew at an extremely high speed, and smashed against the second floor window of a house. He stayed there for a moment, then gravity took its effect, and pulled him down. The feeling of weightlessness was all he felt as his eye closed with the unbearable pain from his wounded and stabbed back, shards of metal and glass poking out of it, and blood oozing from it.

He fell to the ground, and yelled in pain and he felt his ribs break from the fall.

 _Murtagh!_ Thorn yelled in his mind.

 _I . . . There was nothing I could do._ Murtagh managed to say, and yelled in pain again. Their connection had returned, and Thorn was pulling at Murtagh's pain, trying to reduce it as much as he could. _No, don't . . . you are leaving yourself vulnerable._

 _I don't care . . . without you, none of this will matter._ Thorn said.

Murtagh gasped and tried to crawl, but he yelled in pain as it shot throughout his back. He realized with a shock that shards of glass were sticking out of it, in many places. _Oh . . . this is bad._ Murtagh clenched his teeth with pain.

 _I am coming, just hold on._ Thorn said.

Murtagh closed his eyes then, the pain was unbearable. If this was what he was feeling even when Thorn was supporting him, he was sure that without his partner's help he would have died because of the pain itself. And then, the true realization dawned upon him as that one word crossed his thoughts. Death. That was what was coming for him, and he knew it. Murtagh didn't know how long he would survive, but as long as he would, he knew that there would be no saving him. He had lost a lot of blood, his ribs were broken, his chest was scarred with the explosion. How much time could he possibly have left?

 _Thorn . . . you know what I am thinking._ Murtagh told him, his voice slowly turning to grief and sorrow. _You know that there is nothing you can do._

 _That's not true, I can save you_. Thorn argued.

 _You can't . . . your talons are a bit too large to pull those pieces of glass out._ Murtagh replied, and groaned again as the pain in his body increased. _I can feel them . . . they are in too deep Thorn._

 _I will melt them . . . I will draw them out . . . I will do something, Murtagh, just don't give up!_ Thorn yelled in his mind.

 _I love you Thorn, partner of my mind . . . But I have dreaded this moment between us ever we since we killed Oromis and Glaedr . . . I have dreaded what I will say to you . . . but now, I know what I must say._ Murtagh said, and shut his eyes tight, finding it extremely hard to bear the pain.

 _No Murtagh, you won't die . . . stop being an idiot, I am on my way._ Thorn told him.

Murtagh tried to look up, and saw the red dragon diving towards him. But suddenly, someone came next to him, and Murtagh tensed. He yelled then as pain shot through his body. Murtagh hurriedly relaxed himself, and turned his head to the other side.

"Why did you . . . Why?" It was Nasuada who said the words. She stared at his back in dismay, knowing that trying to help would cause him only more pain.

"Because I love you." Murtagh muttered simply, and weakly smiled at her. Nasuada gave sobbed moan, and placed her hand on his cheek.

"I'd rather I died by your side, than be left without you." Nasuada said.

"Don't say that, you are a Rider . . . Draumr will be there for you, I know it." Murtagh muttered, and gasped as the pain from his back and chest began to increase even more. He was coming to an end, and he knew it.

 _Thorn . . . take care . . . don't put off the inevitable, partner. Let it happen now . . . let my pain end._ Murtagh muttered.

 _No! You will not die!_ Thorn yelled.

 _I already am so close to death . . . you will have to let me go._ Murtagh told him, and Nasuada.

"No, you are not leaving me." Nasuada said. Murtagh shook his head as tears welled up in his eyes.

"I love you Nasuada, and you Thorn . . . but there is nothing that the two of you can do . . . I am sorry it had to end here, and now . . ." Murtagh muttered.

Nasuada sobbed as grabbed his hand in her own and caressed it against her face. "Don't leave me . . . I need you."

"I am sorry Nasuada . . . I know you always wanted a child . . . I couldn't even fulfill your deepest desire . . . There was nothing I could do." Murtagh said slowly, not wanting his words to be broken.

 _Murtagh, don't give up . . . we are with you._ Thorn said.

 _No Thorn . . . you have done enough . . . you have taken enough of my pain._ Murtagh said. "Nasuada . . ." Murtagh said, and touched her lips with his fingers. _Goodbye, Thorn, I'll always love you._

 _No! No! WAIT!_ Thorn shouted, but Murtagh cut off the mental connection between him and his dragon. At the same time, he knew it would cost him his life, it would cost him all of what remained, but he leaned up and kissed Nasuada's lips, feeling them against his own. He could feel her love for him, feel her breathing heavily, her tears falling on his own face.

And then, it was over. He let go and fell to the ground, just as Thorn managed to smash past his defenses and enter his mind. The dragon landed nearby, and roared in dismay and grief. Murtagh gasped one last time, and closed his eyes. "I love y-you b-b-both . . . s-so . . . s-so much." He managed to say, and went limp, the last of what breath remained within him had left.

Thorn went quiet then, his eyes widening as the sudden feeling of emptiness entered him. He was terrified, frightened, and alone. His Rider was dead, and Thorn had failed to save him. He had been too late, he had allowed Murtagh to take the pain. He had failed to save his Rider, and now, Murtagh was dead.

 _NO!_ Thorn thought, and roared up at the heavens. Rage, grief, pain and panic formed in his mind as he roared as loud as he could. Fire erupted out of his maw then, lighting up the entire region as Nasuada hugged Murtagh's body, her cries loud and painful enough to be heard even through Thorn's roars.


	100. Chapter 99

**Chapter 99: The Last Light**

Thorn growled angrily, unable to handle it anymore. He stood next to Murtagh's body, which was still being hugged by Nasuada. Draumr and Saphira were trying to fight their way out of the sky to get to them. Thorn looked up at them, then turned down to Nasuada. _He loved you even before we had become partners-of-hearth-and-soul . . . and he loved you until he died . . ._

 _He loved you more, Thorn . . . you were his dragon_. Nasuada replied, and slowly got up, tears still streaming down her face. _You know what I am going to do now, don't you?_

 _Yes, but I don't want you to do it._ Thorn told her. _My daughter is your dragon, and I don't want her to lose her partner . . . She will die of grief, I know it._

 _Then what do you want me to do?_ Nasuada asked him angrily, then cried in grief and fell to her knees.

 _Honor my Rider . . . live to tell the tale of this battle . . . honor my daughter, live to love her as your partner_. Thorn told her. _Because . . . I am going to honor Murtagh in my own way._

 _How is that?_ Nasuada asked.

 _By killing as many Lethrblaka until there are no more remaining, or the fire within me has been put out._ Thorn replied, then looked down at Murtagh one last time, and nudged his head slowly. _Partner . . . I am coming._ Thorn said, then roared again and took to the air. He flapped up high, not letting his thoughts dwindle to grief and loss, thinking that he was going to join his Rider in the void soon anyway.

Thorn growled as he flapped up to the clouds, but kept on rising, even higher. He stopped climbing when he broke out of the cloud cover, then turned and began to fly ahead as fast as he could. He was going to attack the Lethrblaka from above, and kill them all with the rage that was brewing within him. Fire was licking his jaws, he was going to change the tide of the aerial battle, he was going to take revenge from those who had killed his Rider.

He dived, tucking his wings close to his body, and going head first, ready to shoot fire. He roared, and red flames cleared away the clouds as he burst out of them and smashed directly into a Lethrblaka from above. The Lethrblaka screeched as its backed was grazed with fire, but Thorn didn't stop. He grabbed its shoulders with his talons, reached forward and bit at the base of it's neck, and pulled a huge chunk of it out.

The Lethrblaka went limp then, and began to fall. It was dead. Thorn growled, and headed for the battle raging below him. Several dragons were already too injured to fight anymore, a few were dead. But Thorn was glad to see that the number of Lethrblaka defeated were more than the number of dragons. Roaring, he dived into the thicket of the fight, and sent a torrent of fire at the first Lethrblaka he saw. He burnt its wing apart, and it fell, unable to balance itself on one wing. Thorn turned around then and tackled two Lethrblaka simultaneously. He grabbed their neck in both his front and burnt their heads and beaks to ashes. He let the headless, burning bodies fall to the ground then, and swung around, his tail bashing apart a Lethrblaka who had been heading for him. Thorn roared in rage and grabbed one of its wings in his hind legs, and its front wing in his fore legs and pulled with all the force and strength he had.

The Lethrblaka shrieked in intense pain as within moments both its wings had been torn apart. Thorn growled in delight at its agony, then suddenly something sharp pierced his back, making him yelp in pain. A clawed leg grabbed his shoulder, and he realized that it was a Lethrblaka. Thorn growled and flapped upside down. The Lethrblaka fell off, but Thorn dived after it and swiped at its neck with his talons. He managed to cut off its neck completely in that one powerful swipe. Thorn growled in satisfaction, then flapped higher.

A dragon fell onto him, and Thorn realized that someone had pushed his brethren to stop him. He flapped and grabbed the dragon's shoulder, then pushed himself up using them, and sent a huge torrent of fire straight ahead of him. Three Lethrblaka got caught in it, but none of them died. Thorn roared and dived at them, and swung around completely. His tailed smashed apart one's head, killing it, hit another's neck, and knocked aside the third. Thorn turned and made to breathe fire again, but the Lethrblaka flapped forward and wrestled him, grabbing his wing with one foreleg, and neck with the other. It began to pull, trying to tear his wing off. Thorn roared in dismay, then flapped his other wing up, knocking the Lethrblaka a little to the side. That was all that Thorn needed to free his neck and burn the Lethrblaka's neck, which went silent and limp at the same time, it head and body separated by the time Thorn was done.

Thorn then turned to the third Lethrblaka who was heading for him extremely fast. Thorn steeled himself, then at the last moment, just before the creature collided with him, he shifted to the right. The Lethrblaka went ahead of him, but he grabbed its tail with his foreleg, and swung around as hard as he could. The Lethrblaka screeched as it felt itself being thrown around. Thorn let go, and the creature smashed into its own brethren. Thorn flapped towards them and killed both with a huge torrent of fire.

 _Now I feel right!_ Thorn thought to himself.

Eragon and the others stood at the destroyed portion of the stairs, staring at it. Angrenost and Freohr were still down there, and Eragon cursed Angrenost's recklessness mightily. Freohr could change into a huge beast, what chance did Angrenost actually have?

"Deaother, you are going to blast a way in for us." Eragon said. Deaother raised his eyebrows, and Eragon nodded, grabbed his shoulder and pushed him forward. "Come on, do it. Either that, or we all get out of here right now." Eragon told them all.

"Deaother, do it!" Vaelia said.

"Eragonsson, you have the ability to do this." Yurgrovazh said.

Deaother stared at them, then turned to the debris and took a deep breath. But suddenly, someone tapped his shoulders. He looked around to see Leliana, who stared at him as if all her hopes were resting on his shoulders. "You must do this . . . I know you helped bring me and Angrenost together . . . You will need to help us again, Deaother. Please." She said pleadingly.

"I . . . I was going to try anyway." Deaother muttered to himself, then turned to the wall of rubble, took a deep breath, and sent a huge wave of wind at it. The wind smashed against the rubble, and stopped moving completely. The debris was too heavy. Deaother stopped, then put both his hands together and waited for a huge fireball to be formed around them, which he threw at the rubble. At the last moment, just before it touched, Deaother snapped his fingers.

The fireball exploded powerfully, burning the rubble apart. Deaother grinned as a way forward was created, most of the remaining debris fell to the ground in a long but short heap. They hurried forward then.

Everaun stood with eleven other Riders at the lead of the defense, aghast. They had been in for a horrible surprise. When they had arrived at the place where the retreated soldiers should have been, it turned out that almost all of them were dead. The street was on fire, and those men who were alive were groaning and lying on the ground. Only one person stood in between all this. It was a woman, and they were all looking at her. Everaun hurried forward then, looking at all the dead men. There were a couple of Riders, his friends. Everaun closed his eyes in grief for them, but as he turned he saw that the woman was someone familiar. He and the other Riders hurried towards her, and Everaun realized that it was Nasuada, one of the Elders of the Council.

"Ebrithil Nasuada?" Everaun asked, and she turned to him, her eyes red. Everaun looked to the ground then, and saw Murtagh lying on the ground, his eyes closed, and a pool of blood around him. Everaun then realized what Nasuada was so grieved, and he closed his eyes once again, paying respect to the great Rider.

"What happened here?" One of the other Riders asked.

"A . . . siege engine shot one of their boulders right at our unit . . . My husband managed to save me with magic, but we were too late to stop the boulder." Nasuada said slowly, but there was strength in her voice. Everaun stared at her, surprised, as she drew her sword and turned to the defenders that Everaun had brought. "Now, we must stop those screeching, green blooded bastards from reaching the castle . . . come on! Archers, to the roof, pike-men and spear wielders to the lead. Riders, and any other magicians, help me fix those barricades which were supposed to be placed here. "

"Their force is coming fast." An urgal said.

"Then we better hurry." Nasuada said.

Ephian stared back at the peak of Utgard, then looked straight. He was heading for a battle again. This war was going very far. It was sudden, swift and deadly. Next to him, Orik took a deep breathe, then turned to look back at his huge army. A little behind their own army were the men of Surda and different cities, who had joined them on their way to Carvahall. They were a formidable and extremely large force.

"Sire, the night is almost done . . . if we hurry, we will get there by day break." Ephian muttered.

"Oh sure . . . and how fast do you want to go?" Orik asked him.

"As fast as you can go, sire." Ephian replied with a smile.

"If that's what you want, then here goes . . . Knurla!" Orik shouted, turning around. "Men!" He raised his hands to the force behind him. "Carvahall if just some hours away, but a few hours can change the tide of victory and defeat. So now I say, let us save Alagaesia! Let us save our fellow Alagaesians! Let us destroy this foreign vermin who dare to invade our lands!" Orik yelled. "Now run, run as if your life depends on it."

Within moments, the entire army was sprinting, the humans had overtaken the dwarves in a matter of minutes, but the dwarves kept sprinting, their stamina was incredible. Ephian trotted cozily next to Orik, who were both at the head of the dwarven army. Elva was next to him as well.

"Now . . . when will we reach it?" Orik asked Ephian.

"When the skies turn bright, I suppose." Ephian replied.

 _I really hope so._ Jiarha muttered. She, Eridor and some more dragons were waiting for them ahead, unable to bear having to fly slowly.

 _Don't ever do that again!_ Nolfavrell scolded Ohen.

 _I want to have a mate, you don't, it is not my fault, I say sincerely._ Ohen replied.

 _You cannot mate a wild dragon like that, you need to impress her._ Nolfavrell replied.

 _So says a man who couldn't muster enough courage to go to a dinner_ **the woman** _asked him to._ Ohen replied.

 _You are a dragon, what do you know about that?_ Nolfavrell asked him as his face grew red.

 _Enough to know that its embarrassing._ Ohen argued back.

 _Not as embarrassing as what you did! Even I understood what a folly that was!_ Nolfavrell said.

 _Oh be quiet!_ Ohen replied.

They were flying alongside almost three hundred wild dragons. A white dragon was at its lead, and Nolfavrell kept looking around. Ohen was the only one with a Rider, which made him feel very queer.

They had come across the dragons north of Carvahall, just off the edge of the map, following the trail of the mountains. Once they had got there, things had gone very well. Nolfavrell had talked to the Patriarch of the dragons, as he had come to be called by the humans and Riders, who had immediately agreed to help them when Nolfavrell mentioned that Saphira needed help. Saphira was this very dragon's mother. But things had become a little complicated when Ohen had accidentally tried to woo a dragoness by licking her, a beautiful crimson red one. She had roared at Ohen, grappled him and tried to blast his ears off. Luckily, Ohen had managed to throw the dragoness off and get away.

 _Well, I guess we just need to get there now. Don't go near any other dragons till then._ Nolfavrell muttered. They were already more than halfway across.

 _Blast you! I am not talking to you._ Ohen said, annoyed, as the mountains just north of Carvahall came into view.

 _Ohen, I am sorry . . ._ Nolfavrell said, laughing.

Thorn had killed more than twenty Lethrblaka, and he felt like killing more. He had wounds all over his body. A horrible gash on his shoulder, a pierced back, his wing hurt slightly, his talons were green with the blood of the Lethrblaka, his tail was injured when he had accidentally hit a Lethrblaka's beak. But all his pain made him want to fight even more.

 _Come on!_ Thorn roared, and launched himself at a Lethrblaka who was already being tackled by another dragon. He grabbed the Lethrblaka from behind and tore apart its neck, green blood sprouting like a fountain from the base of its neck when Thorn had slashed first.

The Lethrblaka screeched in pain, but the other dragon ended its life with a quick slash at its head. Thorn let go then, and the Lethrblaka fell to the ground. He nodded at the young dragon in front of him. He then turned around and made to fly at another Lethrblaka and kill it. But suddenly, something extremely powerful smashed into him from the left. Thorn roared loudly as talons grabbed all of his legs. They whirled around as Thorn tried to get leverage. But then his attacker flapped forward even harder, pushing him ahead. Thorn smashed into another Lethrblaka, whom he burnt apart.

Thorn then tried to throw away his attacker, but he couldn't. This Lethrblaka is strong. He thought. It had managed to force him to keep his head pointed away from it, so that he couldn't use fire. They fell away from the battle, and his attacker kept pushing him away, until he managed to wrestle his fore legs out of its grip. He then grabbed its shoulders, which felt extremely familiar and too different for it to be a Lethrblaka's. But not thinking, he swung the creature around with extreme power, and let go.

To his extreme astonishment, the creature he had thrown was sparkling blue in the moonlight, was thin and beautiful, not possible to be a Lethrblaka, and too beautiful to be just any dragoness. Thorn realized with extreme guilt that he had thrown Saphira, his own mate, away from him.

 _Saphira?_ Thorn asked, for the first time since Murtagh's death, coming to his right senses.

 _What is the matter with you?_ She roared in his mind, making his head ache.

Thorn stared at her as she managed to return to his altitude, and stared at him. _M-Murtagh . . . my Rider is dead._

 _That doesn't mean you throw your mate around!_ Saphira shouted.

 _I am sorry, I didn't know it was you . . . I thought it was a Lethrblaka._ Thorn said slowly.

 _So . . . now I look as hideous as a Lethrblaka?_ Saphira asked him.

 _No! No! . . . My Rider is dead, Saphira! I have every right to be angry here, right now. It's the only thing keeping me going._ Thorn said.

 _Going for what? You will get killed if you continue the way you are going._ Saphira told him, her voice a little less ferocious, and become softer slowly. She moved closer to him, and stared into his eyes.

Thorn was silent, and he averted his eyes from hers, not wanting her to know what he had wanted to do. But he knew that she had already found out, and was in extreme shock and surprise. _Saphira, I can explain-_

 _You didn't mean to stop unless you were dead . . . You didn't even think about me._ Saphira realized, and he nodded.

 _I am sorry . . . but you don't know what this feels like, Saphira. The horrible silence, no emotions coming to me from him, no thoughts drifting my way . . . it's like silence has silenced itself._ Thorn told her, and came closer to her.

 _Thorn, if you die . . . what about me? What will I do?_ Saphira asked him, sorrow and grief growing within her.

 _I don't know. Thorn muttered. But . . . if I don't do this, I don't know what I will do._

 _I love you, please, don't do this to me. Don't leave me . . ._ Saphira pleaded, coming even closer. Thorn backed away from her then.

 _I love you too, Saphira . . . but when you had to go to Alalea, you had a choice . . . you could have stayed with me, or you could have gone with Eragon._ Thorn told her.

 _Are you angry about that? You know Eragon-_

 _I am not angry, let me finish._ Thorn told her, and she stared at him for a while, then nodded slowly. _You chose to be with your Rider, not your mate . . . because you can't live without your Rider, you have been with him ever since you hatched out of your egg. I am the same, I cannot live without my Rider . . . I need him, just as he needed me to get free of Galbatorix and live a good life.  
_  
Saphira stared at him. _We have been mates for so long, I won't be able to . . . I love you too much to let you go Thorn, I am sorry . . . but you cannot die! I need you . . ._

 _Saphira . . . I love you too . . . so, so much. But now, my Rider waits for me up there._ Thorn told her, and pressed his snout to hers. _I won't make a good mate anymore, Saphira . . . I will be sad, grieved and sorrowed all the time. You wouldn't want me after you have seen me that way.  
_  
Saphira stared at him, but he began to flap away from here slowly. _No, please . . . please don't!_ Saphira begged.

 _If I am lucky, I might survive this . . . but . . . do not mourn me if I don't return, Saphira . . . my love._ Thorn said, then turned around and flapped forward, his heart extremely heavy and his thoughts running wild. A part of him wanted to go back and hug his mate in midair, and never let her go. Another part wanted to go ahead and kill Lethrblaka until he couldn't go on anymore.

And perhaps it was the worst decision of his life, but the best of his heart. He chose his Rider, he was going to fight.

Eragon the First cursed mightily as Crugan and his Lethrblaka managed to elude him every time when they came close. Bid'daum roared in rage, and knocked aside a Lethrblaka who tried to get in their way. The Lethrblaka fell back, and Bid'daum tore it apart from limb to limb, roaring.

But Crugan had gone far ahead, and his Lethrblaka was screeching loudly with intervals in between. Eragon the First stared at it, then noticed that all the Lethrblaka were breaking free of their fights and heading towards Crugan. Bid'daum stopped, and Eragon the First looked around as the dragons got looks of relief.

Within moments, the Lethrblaka had regrouped in front of Bid'daum in perfect positions, while the dragons slowly flapped on to their own positions around Bid'daum. Eragon the First then turned to see Saphira flap up next to him, looking extremely tensed and worried. _This doesn't look good, partner._

 _Not at all . . . Look at the numbers they still have, and look at us._ Bid'daum replied. There had been fifty dragons with them in total, earlier. But now, more than a dozen were gone, either dead or too injured to fight. Some of them were being healed on the ground below, while the Riders of the dead dragons could be seen next to them, even from the height Eragon the First was on.

And in front of them stood almost a hundred Lethrblaka, less than what had arrived, but still enough to overwhelm them. And at the city of Carvahall, Crugan's army had already entered the city, but they were faced by the defenders halfway through the gate and the castle. Looks like we will have to make a change. Bid'daum said.

"So, Eragon, how does it feel? You are the captain on the sinking ship again." Crugan shouted. "You couldn't save Alalea, and you are not going to save Alagaesia! This is my land now!"

 _You are right, Bid'daum, lets make a change. Lets rid the world of that menace once and for all._ Eragon the First told his dragon, then drew his sword and held it high, turning to the other dragons and Riders.

"This is not the end, brave dragons. The battle is not over . . . do not listen to what he says, he wants you to doubt yourself. We can still save our home, if we do not hesitate or falter." Eragon the First said, and looked at them. "If you trust me, if you trust my dragon . . . then today, we shall give those creatures something that will haunt the grandchildren of their grandchildren . . . so fight with me! Fight for your Riders! Fight for your mates! Charge!" Eragon the First yelled, and Bid'daum roared, then flapped ahead.

He was accompanied by more roars as the dragons followed him, rejuvenated by Eragon the First's words.

 _Bid'daum, head for Crugan._ Eragon the First said, as the sun broke out of the horizon behind them.

Angrenost stopped for a moment, panting heavily, his clothes wet with sweat. He looked back then, but couldn't see Freohr anywhere. Freohr would have to climb the stairs to get to him anyway. Angrenost gasped and stood up, hurrying up the stairs again.

"I see you, Prince! You won't go far, I will hunt you down!" Freohr yelled.

"You better be careful, I bite!" Angrenost shouted back, running up the stairs and holding the knife ready. He knew that it wouldn't be much of a match against Freohr, but he didn't have anything else to use at that moment.

Angrenost could hear Freohr bounding up the stairs, five at a time, while he ran just three at a time. He wasn't going to get away, and he knew it, but his luck had held so far. It would be a shame for it to run out now. He looked around, the castle was lighting up, morning had come. But Angrenost didn't care much about it, he kept running up the until he stopped and fell to his knees with exhaustion. Sweat came down his brow and fell to the floor. His armor, which dented and broken in many places, just made matters worse. Angrenost crawled to the side, and got to his feet with his hand on the wall.

"There you are!"

Angrenost reacted instinctively and pointed his knife in the direction where Freohr was. But he gasped, there was no one there. Now that he thought about it, the voice was female and friendly. Suddenly, someone hugged him from behind, and Angrenost looked back to see Leliana, and gave a sigh of relief.

"You stupid, reckless mule." Eragon said. "What were you thinking?"

"That I made a huge mistake . . . I apologise for that, it was ill considered and . . . well, everything you said." Angrenost told him, a little embarrassed.

"It's good to see you are alive, Prince." Yurgrovazh muttered, and held his chin up.

"We can't stay here, Freohr has grown in size . . . I managed to strike a nerve again, I suppose." Angrenost told them.

"You bet you did, Prince!" A shout came from the stairs, and they all turned to see Freohr galloping forward. Everything happened in a blur, to Angrenost. In a matter of seconds, Freohr was up the stairs and had jumped at Angrenost, arm raised to slash him to death.

"Deaother!" Eragon shouted.

Freohr howled as something blasted him to the side while in midair, it had been one of Deaother's exploding fire balls. He hit the wall hard and fell to the ground painfully. Deaother smiled, "You didn't see that coming did you, you toothy bastard."

"Your father is right here." Eragon muttered to him, wincing at the insult Deaother threw.

"Good to know." Deaother replied and blasted Freohr back again as he tried to get up. He walked towards him, drawing his sword as he went. Freohr growled and made to get up, but a lightning bolt to his leg made him fall back. Deaother then sent another bolt of lightning at his stomach, making him moan in pain, his eyes going wide. Angrenost watched as Deaother reached Freohr, ready to kill him. But Angrenost knew that he couldn't let Deaother be the one who would vanquish Freohr, even if he was the one who had defeated him. Angrenost knew that if he didn't cut his rival's head off, he would regret it forever.

"Your death won't be regretted, you filthy beast." Deaother muttered, standing over Freohr, and made to grope his sword into Freohr's heart, but Angrenost grasped his hand at the last moment.

"Please, let me." Angrenost told him. Deaother stared at him for a moment, then smiled and handed him the sword. It was extremely heavy for Angrenost, he needed to use both his hands to lift it , but he didn't care much, he was going to give it back after his work was done. Angrenost turned to Freohr then, who eyed him angrily.

"Don't forget me about me." Deaother shouted and Freohr howled again as lightning struck his shoulder.

"You killed my father . . . you captured me . . . Because of you we are at war, and we have lost Narda. In this case, I have just one word to say to you, Freohr." Angrenost muttered.

"Before you do finish me, I must say . . . I never thought you would need so many people to be around when you kill me, Prince . . . you never could do it alone." Freohr told him, and grinned slightly. "Doesn't that hurt that delicate pride of yours?"

"What should I say? I am a Prince, I am entitled to have an audience." Angrenost replied with a smile, then swung the sword with both his hands, and cut Freohr's head off, then stabbed his body right through the heart, drawing sprays of blood.

Freohr head rolled down the stairs, one at a time, leaving a bloody blotch on every step. Angrenost stared at it for a while, then turned to the headless body which was now crumpled on the ground. In front of them, Freohr's body returned to its normal size, his tattered clothes now fitting him properly. Well, I suppose I wasn't the hero I wanted to be, I couldn't defeat him alone . . .but at least, I have faced him and escaped him many times. Angrenost thought to himself.

Suddenly, the yells, along with roars and shrieks which were coming from outside the castle seemed a lot more important to Angrenost. Eragon and Deaother turned to each other, then both hurried to the window. From their elevated position they could clearly see what was happening. The defenders were retreating towards the castle, their numbers had decreased a lot. Eragon stared at their condition, as did Deaother. "We need to get out there." He said.

"And that's exactly what we are going to do." Eragon replied.

"Look at that!" Leliana said, and they turned to the south. A huge army was heading for the city, with a few dragons roaring and flying off towards the aerial battle raging above. Eragon stared at it, and could see how outmatched the dragons were. Good, Orik is here, Nolfavrell, where are you?

"Let's go and help our troops now, it's not too late." Yurgrovazh told them.

It was not even close to being enough for Thorn. He had killed more Lethrblaka that he cared to count, he was injured, bitten, sniped and beaked almost everywhere in his body, his wings were chipped and had cuts on them, his talons were green with the blood of Lethrblaka, as were his huge teeth. He was beyond reconsidering his decision, but it was still not enough. His thirst for vengeance was still not quenched.

And as he smashed into a Lethrblaka, grabbed its wings and threw it around, then chased it and set it on fire, he could feel his energy reducing, his body weakening and his eyes blurring. Murtagh was gone, and he had taken Thorn's will to live with him. And now that Thorn had managed to think about it for a while, he had realized that killing Lethrblaka was not going to bring his Riders back. Nothing was going to bring his Rider back.

But he could still save others from the pain he had endured. He did not wish any other Rider or dragon to go mad as he had gone because of the death of their partner. Which was why he fought on, reducing the Lethrblaka's head to ashes.

Far ahead of him, Saphira was fighting another Lethrblaka, Thorn saw her, and knew that he couldn't face her again, which is why he began to fly in the other direction. As he saw the carnage going on around him, Thorn slowly realized that killing Lethrblaka was not going to get him far. To change the tide of the battle, he would have to target someone, or something which would make an impact. The rage within was still not sated, it was just being pointed in the other and right direction.

Thorn swerved around then, and flew straight, increasing his speed and keeping himself steady. _Time to meet your fate, Crugan._

Eragon the First was extremely frustrated, as was Bid'daum. Not only had they been unable to get to Crugan and his huge Lethrblaka, which was lazily gliding around the battle, but they were slowly being overwhelmed by the Lethrblaka, as almost every one of them was coming for them more than ten at a time.

As Bid'daum threw off his attackers, Eragon the First kept a constant eye on Crugan and his steed, where they were, and how it would be possible to get to them. Bid'daum roared loudly, and bashed away a Lethrblaka, grabbed another and bit his neck off, then swerved around completely, knocking every Lethrblaka back with his wings of tail.

 _Now's our chance!_ Eragon the First told him hurriedly.

Bid'daum flapped away from them and sped off towards the huge Lethrblaka. It seemed to have noticed them, because it stopped and got ready to face them. But Bid'daum stopped hurriedly as he spotted something that astounded him and Eragon the First completely.

A glistening red dragon appeared from the cloud cover above, and dived right at Crugan and his steed. The Lethrblaka didn't know what was coming, as it was focused on Bid'daum, who had stopped. The red dragon roared and breathed fire upon the Lethrblaka, swerved under it and came up on the other side. The fire proved useless, as Crugan had put wards around his steed, but the dragon tackled the huge beast, which was more than twice its size. The Lethrblaka screeched as the dragon's talons began to swipe at its neck and face. But it knocked the dragon aside with one smack from its tail. The dragon lost altitude for a few moment, after which it began to rise again. This Bid'daum also flew at the Lethrblaka, intending to help the red dragon.

But in the next moment, another roar came up, and a black dragon came up to them from the other side. The Lethrblaka stared at the three dragons, as Eragon the First turned to see who it was. He smiled as he realized it was Hugin, and Phriones was in the saddle. "Good timing, Phriones."

"I realized that this chance wouldn't come again." Phriones replied as Hugin came next to Bid'daum.

Crugan stared at all of them, as the red dragon backed slightly to the left. "So finally, my old rival is here with his students, ready to face the greatest threat to Alagaesia . . . me. And as always, I have a final card to play, Eragon."

"You have nothing left to play Crugan, its three of us against you." Eragon the First said.

Crugan just smirked as he looked from dragon to dragon. "You see, that's where you might be wrong. It is just you and your dragon, and that red cookie, against us." Crugan said.

"Perhaps you have lost your mind, Crugan, because from where I sit, only you and your steed stand before the five of us." Eragon the First replied, a small smile coming to his face.

"I guess you sit on the wrong side then, because . . . I think I will play my card right now. Isn't that right, Phriones?" Crugan said, and turned to the Rider.

Eragon the First turned to his student as well. "What is he talking about?" Crugan laughed slightly, the sound making Bid'daum cringe.

"What I am saying is that the soldiers at Ureimes were not killed by my magic but they were poisoned before the battle, your mate did not fall off her dragon because of me but was forced off by magic and right into my waiting hands, also that you don't know half the things that go on in other people's minds. If you did, you would have seen this coming." Crugan told him.

"Answer me, Phriones, what is this?" Eragon the First asked him firmly, trying to ignore what Crugan had said, even though trepidation was brewing within him.

Phriones was silent, but Hugin flapped ahead and took his place next to Crugan and his Lethrblaka. Eragon the First stared at him, his hopes sinking and his heart flailing. There he was, not having a clue how and why things were suddenly taking a wrong turn. His own student had betrayed him, the one person whom he thought could carry on his duty even after he was dead, had betrayed him and thrown every last care away. Eragon the First wasn't sure if he could take this, or attack the very person, whom he had raised as his own.

But the thoughts in Bid'daum's mind were not like those in Eragon the First 's. They were that of bubbling anger and a thirst for vengeance for this betrayal. Eragon the First felt his own thoughts of remorse being swept aside as Bid'daum rushed into him and turned him to the direction he ought to be. Rage grew within both of them, and they roared as one, they minds melding.

 _How dare you betray us? You shall die for this!_ They roared together, and dived towards Hugin, who began to fly towards them as well.

The red dragon flew towards Crugan and his huge Lethrblaka.

Eragon and the others burst out of the gates of the castle, and turned to the sky immediately. The aerial battle was not at all going well for the dragons, and Eragon could see Bid'daum and Thorn a little away from the main battle, fighting a skirmish of their own. He was a bit surprised to see that Bid'daum was attacking a black dragon, while Thorn was trying to take the huge Lethrblaka.

"I have to get up there . . ." Eragon muttered, and tapped Deaother on his back. "You are coming with me, son."

"But I want to stay here, and help the leaders." Deaother objected.

"Vaelia can handle herself, but I will need your help against Crugan, now come on!" Eragon told him, grabbing him by the arm and leading him towards the walls of the castle.

 _Saphira, can you pick us up?_ Eragon asked her, hurriedly entering her mind.

 _Bloody traitor!_ Saphira was yelling in her thoughts.

 _What?_ Eragon asked.

 _Dark-black-traitor-Hugin has betrayed, along with his Rider . . . we need to help Thorn._ Saphira said.

 _So you are coming?_ Eragon asked.

 _Yes, I will pick you up._ Saphira replied.

"I still don't understand why you-" Deaother was saying, but Eragon grabbed him by the shoulder and stared hard into his eyes. Deaother fell silent immediately.

"Son . . . your father needs your help, alright?" Eragon asked him.

"I . . . I'll help you, but Vaelia-" Deaother began to say.

"She is going to be safe, she is fighting common soldiers, we are going to take on their leader, we are going after Crugan." Eragon told him, and shook his shoulder roughly. "And we are going to defeat him, together."

Thorn hacked, slashed, sliced, breathed fire, and as a matter of fact, did everything and anything he knew that could do some damage, but none of it had been effective against the Lethrblaka. His every move was hardly effective, as within moment, the Lethrblaka would knock him back with ease, making it difficult for him to take the creature head on. Breathing fire was completely useless, as the creature had wards around it.

Thorn had been trying for several minutes now, his failures just aggravating his rage. Now, he was in frenzy, moving his talons in any way he could to just to be able to land one hit on the creature. None of it proved effective.

"I grow tired of this filthy dragon's struggles; let us just end this, shall we?" Thorn heard the evil Shade say.

Thorn roared in rage. _I am not going down that easy!_ And dived forward, swerved around the Lethrblaka's fore leg as it came towards him, flapped above its wing, and emerged on its back. Thorn made to slash the Shade off his seat. But something extremely unexpected happened . . .

He stopped moving.

Thorn yelped then as his wings stopped flapping him ahead, his muscles did not respond. What is happening? Thorn was not even able to move his neck anymore, nor his eyes. He had frozen completely in midair, but his wings still flapping to keep him high. Thorn wondered how that was possible, and it was after seeing the Shade grin that he realized what it was, and as soon as a he did, a wave of fear and panic went through him.

 _I am in your mind!_ A voice said, which Thorn dreaded and all of a sudden feared.

 _No!_ Thorn yelled, trying to calm his mind hurriedly, but panic and rage erupted within him again. He was in a very bad position now, and he had no idea how he could get out of it. How could he have been so stupid to leave his mind unguarded? He had been so focused on just killing the creatures.

 _That's right, you are not going to get through this, stupid dragon. You think you can kill me? I have slain more dragons than you can even contemplate, and I intend to slay some more, but you . . . you are going to be a memento for my steed._ Crugan said in his mind.

Thorn watched as the Lethrblaka rose to his height and faced him, their eyes meeting. _No, this is not how it ends!_

 _This is exactly how it ends, dragon . . . Thorn, is it? I would say your other name, but I'd rather not._ Crugan replied.

 _I am sorry, Murtagh . . . I am coming._ Thorn thought, wishing he could close his eyes now that things were going to end for him.

Thorn stared into the Lethrblaka's eyes, knowing that it was going to kill him, knowing that this was the very last thing he was going to see and experience. He didn't want it to be this way. He didn't want to die at the hands of a Lethrblaka. He had wanted to die centuries and centuries later by his mate's side, following Murtagh. But that was not meant to be, this was where it was going to end for him. So suddenly, so abruptly. He had been so close to extracting his revenge, and now, he was even closer to death.

 _I hope you rot in hell, you bloody spirits!_ Thorn yelled at Crugan's present consciousness, which had taken control of his body. _I hope you die at the hands of an Alagaesian!_

 _Keep hoping, dragon . . . or rather, stop now, becausm, well, its time to say good bye._ Crugan told him. Thorn heard him shouting to his steed. "Do it, kill him. We still have those two to deal with before we can set foot in the battle."

The Lethrblaka grabbed him from both sides with its forelegs, and brought its beak near his neck. Thorn knew that it was going to behead him, which was ironic, as he had never seen a beheaded dragon before. _Curse you, Crugan._ Thorn thought.

 _Die, Skulblaka abr Zar'rac._ Crugan replied.

A wave of chilling realization went through Thorn, followed by hysteria and more rage. The Shade had just said his true name, and he was all the more angry because of it. He was already in the Shade's control, so there wasn't much effect when he said the name, but Thorn had always wondered what his true name was, and now, he had found it.

Thorn felt the Lethrblaka's sharp beak on both sides of his neck, and a roar from behind. Bid'daum had realized what was happening, but his own student was keeping him busy. The beak began to squeeze, drawing out warm blood which flowed down Thorn's scales, making wriggle. This was going to be painful and slow, and there no way for him to get out of it. No way at all, he couldn't think of anything because Crugan would already know about it. He was done, he was dead, he was gone. He only wished to see his mate one last time, but that was not going to come true for him. Was there a fate worse than this? Thorn felt his tendons tearing off slowly, but . . .

"Carvahall, we are here to save you!" A magically magnified voice shouted, the voice ringing in Thorn's ears. But this shout was followed by a united roar, a roar extremely loud. Thorn nearly felt happy with joy as he heard it, because it was a roar of more than a hundred dragons.

 _The wild dragons are here!_ Thorn thought. It was then that he realized that Crugan wasn't in his mind anymore, the Lethrblaka had let go off his neck, and its grip was loosening. Now, you die! Thorn tried to crane his neck, but pain erupted on it where he had been sliced by the creature. This was going to be difficult.

Thorn pulled his wings, fore legs, hind legs and tail close together between the Lethrblaka grasp, then with all his strength pushed the creature's limbs away from him. The Lethrblaka screeched then, and turned back to him, but Thorn dropped out of his grasp just before a beak sliced the air where he had been.

"No! Get him, kill him! The others will take care of those wild dragons." Crugan shouted. The Lethrblaka dived after Thorn, who was going as fast as he could. Within moments, Thorn realized that the Lethrblaka was upon him, and swerved around, flapping hurriedly to get altitude. The Lethrblaka dived past him, but just before Thorn could move, its tail smashed right into his face, making him growl and fall down for a moment. But he quickly gained leverage, speeding towards Bid'daum. The Lethrblaka chased after him. It was just too fast, and it grabbed Thorn from behind by his tail before he had gone even halfway. Thorn yelped, then roared in pain as the Lethrblaka swung him around, then let go. Just before Thorn could open his wings and regain control, something smashed into him hard, making his eyes blur and mind go fuzzy. It was the Lethrblaka, how could it be so fast?

 _You are going to die, dragon. You don't stand a chance._ Crugan said.

 _And so are you, Crugan!_ Thorn replied angrily.

The Lethrblaka slashed at his wings then, ripping the thin membrane in many places. Thorn roared, but another slash followed, right at his belly. _Experience what it feels like to meet death!_

Thorn breathed fire, sliced at the Lethrblaka, but the creature grabbed his foreleg, in its own, and crushed it. Thorn roared, but the Lethrblaka grabbed him by the neck, using its beak. _Die dragon, die now!_ Crugan shouted in his mind.

 _To hell with you!_ Thorn yelled, and breathed fire right into the Lethrblaka's open beak. The Lethrblaka's eyes widened suddenly.

"Take care of the white dragon as well, I will tend to this nuisance." Crugan replied then, and leapt from the Lethrblaka's back, right onto Thorn's. Thorn squirmed free of the Lethrblaka's grasp, and dived for the ground. But then, he suddenly realized that his wings weren't functioning.

 _This is how I killed the last dragon_. Crugan replied, and climbed to the base of his neck as he dived. Thorn had no idea how Crugan had got there, but it was didn't bode well for him. And now, its your turn! Crugan said, and drew his sword.

 _No!_ Thorn thought, and tried to turn, but he could not. Crugan was keeping him in check. _No, no, no! It can't end this way._

 _Oh, but it already has . . ._ Crugan smirked, and groped his sword into Thorn's skull.

 _No!_ Thorn thought, as the sword went right though. In a matter of seconds, the sound faded, pain faded, his fire was extinguished, there was no air in his lungs. And finally, the life ebbed away from his body as the last light in his eyes vanished completely.

Now he couldn't feel the pain, he couldn't feel anything. Now, he couldn't see anything nor could he hear anything. He was just there, staring into darkness, just present. He couldn't move, he couldn't feel either; he was completely stationary.

 _What? . . . Murtagh?_ Thorn thought hopefully, but there was no reply. _Saphira?_ No reply.

It was then, with startling recognition, that he realized where he was. And he felt all the more enraged, and lost because of it. He was completely and utterly left to rot, to live but not die. He was alone, truly alone, for the rest of his life now, which could mean an eternity. Why did I have to disgorge by eldunari? Thorn roared at himself with all his rage, but he was unable to do anything else.

He was alone, and he knew it. He had lost the battle, he had been defeated, and he was now due for a lifetime of darkness.

 _Alone!_ Thorn thought, but he knew no one heard him.


	101. Chapter 100

**Chapter 100: The Dead Rise**

"Thorn!" Eragon yelled, as did Deaother and Saphira. They were flying towards the battle going on between Bid'daum, Phriones and the huge Lethrblaka. I have to get to Thorn, I must help him. Saphira said, panicked and in pain to see her mate this way. Her thoughts and emotions were tumultuous, she wanted to help Bid'daum but she also wanted to help Thorn, and Thorn was more important to her.

 _Saphira, no!_ Eragon shouted, but she dived towards the ground, heading for where Thorn was lying still. _Bid'daum won't be able to take them both on!_

 _Thorn is lying down there, Eragon, I need you and your son to help him. Bid'daum is alive and knows how to take care of himself._ Saphira snapped back, her panic receding and slowly being replaced by rage.

 _I don't-_

 _Just be silent!_ Saphira shouted.

 _Great! We are on the edge of losing the battle, and you are going to let the only real chance we have of surviving let itself burn, or bit-_

 _Not another word, Eragon, I am serious._ Saphira told him furiously.

Eragon didn't say anything then, and was silent. "Why are we diving?" Deaother shouted.

"Because Saphira wants to." Eragon replied over the wind.

They flapped to the ground then, and Eragon and Deaother jumped off hurriedly, just as Saphira crawled to Thorn and turned him around. The dragon wasn't moving at all, neither was he breathing. Eragon stared at him then, reaching to him with his mind. There's nothing . . . he's gone. Eragon thought.

 _Thorn?_ Saphira prodded Thorn's body with her forelegs. _Thorn, wake up, I know you are alive._

 _Saphira . . . he is not . . . there._ Eragon said softly, placed a hand on Thorn's head. H _is consciousness is not in his body, but I am sure that he is not dead either . . . If he was dead, there would not be those thoughts left here . . . It's almost as if he is in a coma._

 _That doesn't happen to dragons, Eragon._ Saphira snapped.

 _I know._ Eragon replied.

Saphira took a look at the wounds he had suffered, and roared then, looking up at the battling dragons. _This has gone far enough._

 _Saphira, he is-_

 _He is alive, Eragon! He is in his eldunari . . . but that traitor and that Lethrblaka nearly cost me my mate . . . they are not going to get away with this._ Saphira said, then spread her wings hurriedly.

 _Wait, let us get on._ Eragon said, but she took to the air before either of them could climb onto her. She roared again as she soared up, and flew towards the battle. Eragon stared at her. Great, what do we do?

 _Wait for me to return._ She replied.

"There's someone there." Deaother said suddenly, and drew his sword. Eragon drew Brisingr and turned to the direction he was pointing. Thorn was lying in front of them, and a little ahead of the dragon, a man was lying face down. Eragon walked towards him, sword ready. Deaother followed from the other side.

"Deaother, give him a blast of something to let him know we are here." Eragon said, and Deaother raised his palm. But before anything could happen, the man raised his hand.

"I was expecting you." He said in a gentle voice, which Eragon found eerily suspicious. He stayed on alert, and motioned Deaother to be ready as well. "I knew you would come to see this dragon, and now that you are here, I can say with certainty . . . you are as well as dead." No sooner had the man finished saying those words that a blast threw them both back. Deaother fell to the ground, but stood up hurriedly, as did Eragon.

The man was on his feet, and his dull white armor was now revealed. He had a jet black scabbard on his hip, from which he drew an equally black sword. He pointed it at Eragon, and smiled. "I am sure you have heard of me, Lead rider . . ."

"Crugan, I take it?" Eragon asked, readying his sword.

"Oh yes." He replied with a snide smile. "I was wondering when I was going to meet the great Rider who liberated Alagaesia. And what could be better? He is just another Eragon in my path." Crugan smirked at Eragon. "So now, I ask you, get out of my way, and run before your land burns and shrivels up, you hear me?"

"Why are you doing this? What is it that these people have done to you?" Eragon asked him finally.

"What have these people done to me?" Crugan laughed. "Nothing, but it is this land that I hate. Alagaesia ruined me! I was defeated, humiliated, and forced to flee. Alalea accepted me, I am its Ruler now . . . so now I have returned to destroy that, what was taken from me."

"Well, it seems to me that only one thing can get us out of this." Deaother said, his eyes meeting Eragon. "We are just going to have to kill you, right here, right now." Deaother told Crugan.

"Aren't you clever?" Crugan said, sneering. "But I really doubt that it will happen, young fool."

"We'll just see about that!" Eragon shouted and charged at Crugan, Brisingr held ready.

Saphira tackled Hugin, making the black dragon fall off Bid'daum. The white dragon smashed the Lethrblaka's head with his own, and threw it back, then went back for the attack. Eragon the First was still sitting on top of him.

 _My Rider needs to get to the ground, Crugan is there._ Bid'daum told Saphira.

Saphira roared and threw Hugin away, then swerved down and bashed onto the huge Lethrblaka with all her strength. The Lethrblaka fell to the side, and Bid'daum dived. To the side, Hugin dived as well. Saphira yelped as something bashed her back. It was the Lethrblaka.

 _Die, you beaked-leathery-slave-bastard._ Saphira cursed and sent a huge torrent of fire at its head. Nothing happened, the Lethrblaka had wards around it. Saphira growled then, realizing that she couldn't best this creature, and hurriedly dived as the Lethrblaka's talons came for her.

"Ah, here comes Eragon . . . the other one." Crugan said, and parried a swing from Deaother. Eragon hacked at him, but the Shade ducked and punched him with his free hand, throwing him back. Eragon rolled to the side and leapt to his feet, but Crugan was not fighting anymore as Eragon the First stood in front of him, sword ready.

"Looks like we are going to end this now, Crugan." Eragon the First told him.

"Oh yes, we are." Crugan said. "But do tell me, will you strike down your own student?" Crugan asked, gesturing at Phriones, who jumped off Hugin as soon as the dragon came close enough to the ground. "Will you have the courage?"

Eragon the First didn't reply for a while. "If I can kill you, Crugan, then I am sure he will yield. After that, the laws of Alagaesia will decide whether he should live or die."

"That is not true." Phriones said, drawing a jet black sword.

Eragon turned to his namesake, who pointed at Crugan and nodded. Eragon blinked, then realized what it meant, with a sudden jolt in his abdomen. He was going to fight a Shade who had managed to defeat Eragon the First, albeit he wasn't going to be alone. Steeling himself for what he was going to do, Eragon took a deep breath, then slashed forward, right at Crugan's arm.

Crugan must have heard him, or sensed him, or something similar, because in a whirl, he knocked Brisingr aside. At the same time, Eragon the First charged, sword swinging diagonally right at Crugan's chest. Crugan blocked the blow, but Eragon the First ran his sword around. Crugan pulled his own blade back as Eragon tried to behead him.

To the side, Deaother charged at Phriones, who ducked and sprinted away from him. "Stand and fight, you filthy coward!" Deaother shouted at him, charging after the elf.

"We have to outsmart him!" Eragon the First yelled at Eragon.

"And how do we do that?" Eragon asked back.

"The Eragons discussing with me right between them. How genuinely foolish, where do you two learn these things?" Crugan mocked. Eragon slashed at Crugan then, who parried the sword, and pulled a curved dagger from his belt. He whipped it backwards, knocking Eragon the First's sword aside. "I don't think we will be alone for that long, my friends." Crugan told them with a sneer as Eragon jumped back, dodging his blade.

They all turned around to see another Lethrblaka diving towards them, and Eragon could see several Ra'zac on its back.

Deaother kept chasing Phriones, who was surprisingly fast. He had thought of blasting the elf to the ground with fire, and pulling at the earth under his feet, but finally he had decided to see what Phriones was going to do.

After several long moments, Phriones finally stopped, halfway back towards Carvahall from where they had started running. Deaother stood several feet away from him, sword ready and staring at the traitor, who was looking at him with a smile. "What is it that you are so happy about?"

"That you fell right into my trap." He said, and beamed as he held his arms wide open to the sides. "Let me ask you something, son of Eragon. Do you know what necromancy is?" Phriones asked him.

"It's a type of sorcery. Magic used without the Ancient Language . . . why do you ask?" Deaother asked as a sudden wave of realization struck him. Phriones nodded at him, and his fingers curled into fists, muscles tightening. Deaother stared at him for a while, as he realized that the elf was either trying something he had never done before, or was just plain crazy.

"I ask because . . ." Phriones paused as shimmering green orbs of light appeared on his hand when he eased his fingers out. "That is what you are going to face . . . I am going to raise the dead, and you can't kill what is already dead, can you?"

"That's not possible, necromancy is just a story!" Deaother shouted at him.

"Oh but it is possible, watch and learn." Phriones said, and the orbs of light flew out of his hand and right into the ground. "We are standing where the village of Carvahall once stood . . . many people were killed here once, I can feel them."

How does he know so much? Deaother asked, surprised that Phriones knew where the village of Carvahall had stood once upon a time.

"Get ready to face something never before seen in Alagaesia . . . the dead rising!" Phriones yelled. Deaother readied himself hurriedly as mud flew in every direction.

Deaother gaped as a fleshless hand poked out of the ground, right in front of him. Slowly, creaks could be heard as the head and shoulders came out. Deaother stared at it for a while, frightened and devastated. How was he supposed to kill something which was made out of bone? It would just get up and start attacking him again. This was not boding well for him.

"So, Son of Rider, what are you going to do?" Phriones asked him, as about ten such skeletons climbed right out of the ground, a green, disgusting light glowing where their hearts should have been. Deaother stared at them, and thought. Breaking their heads off might be a good idea.

"Attack him!" Phriones shouted, and the ground skeletons charged at him faster than he had expected, they were as fast as elves. Deaother jumped back hurriedly as swords slashed at him, then let fire and lightning coat his arms. Stone and earth covered his legs, and every element was now at his disposal. "Let's see if you can stand after this!" Deaother sent a huge, exploding fireball right into their midst.

There were creaks and cracks as the skeletons flew off in different directions, most of them in pieces. Only three remained. Deaother charged at one and tried to stop it by cutting off its head. It didn't work, the rest of the body just kept on hacking at him. He ducked, dodged and parried, then blasted the skeleton back with air. He then pulled at the earth, which parted and the skeleton fell to a new and much deeper grave.

The remaining two were running at him when he turned back, but he broke their bones by kicking them with his stone covered foot. "There, traitor, looks like I have bested you." Deaother said brandishing his sword at Phriones.

"Oh I don't think so." Phriones replied calmly, and Deaother felt his eyes widen as the same weird green light appeared on Phriones's palms, but this time in the form of fire. "Let us see how you do against the real power of Necromancy."

Deaother stared as Phriones threw the flames at him. Reacting instinctively, he shot lightning at it. Nothing happened, the flame just kept on coming at him. Deaother then sent a torrent of fire. The flames, both green and natural, landed on the ground, where they slowly extinguished, leaving a pale green mark on the soil.

"Well?" Deaother asked him.

"Just die!" Phriones shouted and charged, drawing his sword. Deaother readied his own sword then.

Phriones slashed at his neck, but Deaother parried and jumped back. Cursing, he blocked another blow that Phriones threw at him, pushed the elf back and jabbed at his neck. His blow was dodged, but Deaother jumped back and raised his palm, "Bet you didn't see this coming, eh?" and sent a blast of fire at Phriones, who jumped to the side, his back on fire. With a muttered word, he put it out and stared at him. "You are good . . . where did you learn those tricks?"

"A little here, a little there." Deaother replied, which was true. Not waiting for the elf to respond, he charged.

Eragon and Eragon the First stood back to back as they were surrounded by twenty Ra'zac , all staring at them with their horrible eyes. Crugan retreated to the Lethrblaka, he didn't climb on top of the creature as it wasn't his steed, but he just stood next to it, watching Eragon and his namesake.

"Attack when I tell you . . ." Eragon the First said. Eragon nodded as they circled around each other. "Now!"

Eragon charged forward, the Ra'zac screeched as he assaulted them with all his strength. In a flash, he beheaded one, knocked another aside, parried a blow, blasted three back with magic and ran his sword through another. Not waiting, he pulled his sword out and slashed another Ra'zac part. On the other side, Eragon the First had killed several himself. Within minutes, all were dead and both the Eragons turned to face Crugan, who was scowling at them.

"Blast you both to hell." He said. "Let us end this once and for all." He charged at them, drawing his own sword, and picking a mace from the ground.

Eragon the First swerved to the side, while Eragon charged against him headon. Crugan grinned and raised the mace. Eragon knew that he was feinting, and slid to the ground at the last moment and kicked the Shade's shins, knocking him over and making him fly above Eragon. Eragon the First charged in then, sword raised, but was blasted back by magic. Eragon took to his feet and charged again, knocking Crugan's mace aside and diving his sword towards the Shade's heart. Brisingr was almost there, a sense of exhilaration came over Eragon when, out of nowhere, the Shade knocked it aside with his own sword. He must have realized how close the attack had been, because he began to attack Eragon back.

Eragon the First stood up then, while Crugan kicked Eragon, knocking him back. "Come on, you tyrant, let us end our mythical battle."

"It shall end with your demise!" Crugan said, his eyes bloody. He waited as Eragon the First circled him with quick steps, then struck at his shoulder. Eragon the First parried the blow and smiled ruefully. Crugan didn't stop, he yelled and began a flurry of blows which Eragon found extremely hard to keep track of. Swords clanged, and Crugan's mace missed Eragon the First's face by mere inches.

Eragon stared at them, he knew that he would have to do something to end this battle, and quickly too, otherwise they would be defeated for sure.

Hugin was strong, but Saphira was enraged, stronger and wanted nothing other than this traitor's blood. She had already dealt the youngling several cut, bruises, scratches and bites. Hugin swiped at her, his talons red with blood, but Saphira looped back, her tail bashing the dragon's face. Hugin roared and tackled her, pushing them both into a steep dive. Saphira growled, and smashed her head into his, then raked apart his chest and belly with her own talons. When Hugin didn't let go, she let out a torrent of fire at his head. The dragon let go then, before the flames came in contact with him, and flew high, gaining the advantage of altitude.

Saphira was smarter though, and she chased him. Within moments she caught up, and bit the dragon's tail, hard. Hugin roared in pain, and smashed his hind legs into her shoulder, but she just flapped to the side as Hugin desperately beat his wings, trying to get away. She then bit harder, blood gushing into her mouth, breaking the bones of his tail. Hugin roared again, and sent a torrent of fire towards of Saphira, which just dissolved around her. Eragon's wards protected her from fire.

Saphira then grabbed his tail with both her front legs, and tore it away from the rest of the dragon's body. The dragon, and its Rider, both screamed in pain. But Saphira didn't stop. She spat the tail out, then veered above Hugin and let out a huge blast of flames, setting the dragon on fire as he tried to get away. Saphira gave chase, grabbed the dragon by his shoulders to hold him in place, then bit at the base of his skull.

The dragon went limp in that very instant, and began to fall. Saphira roared in victory, letting out a huge mass of flames. The defenders of Carvahall cheered at her victory, as did the other dragons in the air. Saphira then turned to the enormous Lethrblaka, who was battling with Bid'daum. The white dragon was holding the Lethrblaka off pretty well, but the battle was taking place quite far away now.

Saphira started to flap in their direction, when suddenly, something completely unexpected happened right before her eyes. Bid'daum, who had been trying the swerve around the Lethrblaka and catch him from the side, roared in pain and fell several hundred feet. The Lethrblaka screeched in joy, and dove after the dragon. Saphira knew that had happened because something had happened to Eragon the First, and she began to flap towards the white dragon as fast as she could. Bid'daum was tired, injured and spent. Saphira knew that he wouldn't be able defend himself if the Lethrblaka attacked now.

But before she could have gone more than a couple of wing beats, the Lethrblaka reach Bid'daum, who roared and knocked him back. The Lethrblaka let him, then swooped below the dragon and smashed right into his wing from below, toppling Bid'daum. The white dragon yelped in surprise and he turned over and began to fall again. The Lethrblaka then dove, headfirst, right at Bid'daum, like an arrow sent from a bow.

In the next instant Saphira realized what was happening and began to move faster, but dread filled her as she realized she wouldn't be able to reach the dragon in time. She looked at Bid'daum helplessly, who opened his maw to let out flames.

The fires were extinguished even before they could come out, because in less than a moment, the Lethrblaka had smashed into Bid'daum, and its beak had pierced the dragon's soft belly, making Bid'daum roar in immense pain. The roar didn't last long as the Lethrblaka bit the dragon's neck and tore off the main blood vessels from the Bid'daum's body.

Bid'daum fell silent then, but another yell tore apart the atmosphere, and Saphira stopped she heard it, because it came from Eragon the First.

Eragon watched with horror as his namesake yelled in pain, and fell back, clutching his stomach. Eragon was still several yards away from him and Crugan, and he saw the Shade smirk as Eragon the First fell to the ground, crying out as if a sword had pierced his body. Eragon looked up then, and saw a terrifying sight. The Lethrblaka had pierced Bid'daum right through his belly, and now, it grabbed the dragon's body, pulled its beak out and began to flap away, as Bid'daum fell limply towards the ground. Saphira was nowhere in sight, but Eragon knew that she was unharmed.

Eragon the First bellowed, "No! Not now . . . Bid'daum!"

"This ends here . . . Rider." Crugan said, and raised his sword as he walked up to Eragon the First.

Eragon put on a burst of speed, holding Brisingr ready. He wasn't going to let Crugan kill his namesake. Running faster than he had ever run before, he became a blur to the eye of humans. I am going to kill him. Eragon thought to himself. Eragon the First was on his knees, tears streaming out of his eyes, his hands clutching his heart. Eragon knew he could feel his dragon's heart beginning to slow. Bid'daum would be dead by the time he hit the ground.

Eragon sprinted even faster as Crugan kicked Eragon the First's sword away, and placed his own on the elf's neck. "You were a worthy opponent, elf . . . and I am relieved to have finally killed you."

"No!" Eragon yelled and jumped forward. Crugan stiffened and looked over his shoulder as Eragon stabbed him from behind.

Deaother staggered back as Phriones managed to land a punch on his face. Reacting purely on instinct, he brought his sword up, and parried a stab that would have killed him for sure. He slashed in return, and Phriones blocked the blow, twirling his sword around so that both the weapons met at their cross guards.

Deaother cursed, both the swords were locked now, and it had now become a test of strength. Phriones pushed forward, but Deaother held firm. The elf wasn't going to best him. But his strength was astounding, comparable to Deaother's own heightened abilities.

Flames leapt up Phriones's sword, pale green in color, and Deaother thought the elf was frustrated. He tightened his grip on his sword and heaved, and all of a sudden, Phriones fell back with ease, devoid of all his earlier strength. He stared at Deaother, then at his sword, "What's happening?"

"I don't care, but now . . . you die!" Deaother shouted and charged. Phriones stood upright and tried to block Deaother's blow. Sword clashed against sword for a moment, then Phriones's weapon flew away with a loud clatter. He swore, and jumped back as Deaother lashed his own weapon at him. Not stopping, Deaother jumped forward and thrust his blade towards his opponent's chest, who moved to the side. Deaother caught him on his shoulder, and Phriones yelled in pain.

"Master! I need your strength . . . please restore it in me!" He began to scream. Deaother raised an eyebrow, then he realized that Phriones's powers in necromancy had not been inherently learnt. He had been given those powers b Crugan, and for some reason now, he was unable to use them. With it, he lost his higher level of strength and power, making him slower and weaker than Deaother.

"Looks like your master is having a difficult time." Deaother mocked. Phriones shot him a dirty look as he pulled out a dagger and held it ready.

"I don't need a sword to defeat you." Phriones said.

"Neither do I." Deaother said, and sheath his sword, an idea forming in his mind.

Phriones raised an eyebrow, then shook his head and leapt at him, dagger stabbing at Deaother's chest. Deaother grinned, his left fist turning to stone, and caught the blade in midair. Phriones gasped, but not before Deaother grabbed his face with his other hand, lifted him by his head and smashed him to the ground. Wrenching the dagger out of his hand, Deaother threw it to the side, and bashed his chest with his stone fist, breaking several ribs. His hand still holding the elf's face, Deaother closed his eyes and said, "I hope you rot in the Void, traitor."

Lightning raced out of his palm, into Phriones's body through this eyes, nose and mouth. His body jerked several times, and his screams rent the air, but within moments his clothes caught fire. Deaother was on his feet while Phriones yelled in pain, a horrible gut wrenching yell which died moments later as what life remained in the elf burnt in the fire.

"That's for betraying us . . ." Deaother muttered through clenched teeth.

Brisingr went through Crugan's back, and protruded out from his chest. Crugan gulped in surprise, then looked down at the blue blade emerging from his chest. "You filthy, blithering fool!" Crugan muttered. Eragon gasped, had he stabbed the Shade's heart?

Just then, Crugan looked back, his face that of rage, murderous rage, and smashed his fist onto Eragon's face. Eragon flew backwards, still holding Brisingr, which slid out of Crugan's body. He fell to the ground painfully, his plated armor clattering. Crugan turned around, and glared at him for a moment, as Eragon stood to his feet, then choked and fell to his knees, just as Eragon the First also forced himself up behind Crugan. He hurried to Eragon's side to take a look at what had happened.

"You missed his heart . . . by mere inches." Eragon the First told him. Eragon cursed, but his namesake began to advance on the Shade. Eragon was impressed at how quickly Eragon the First had gotten a hold of himself. Perhaps Bid'daum had disgorged his eldunari. Eragon put the thought aside, he would have time to ponder on it later.

Crugan stood up hurriedly and staggered back, clutching his wound. There was no bleeding, but Crugan held on to his wound as if he was afraid to let anything escape. "You do not know what you have wrought, Kingslayer." His voice had changed, instead of having just one tone, it had multiple tones, and they all sounded enraged. "We shall . . . KILL you for this!" He shouted.

Eragon winced as a little fear struck his heart. But not Eragon the First, who held his sword ready, and charged. But then, something happened that Eragon could not fathom, or even hope to understand. It was so unexpected that even Eragon the First was caught unaware.

As Eragon the First charged, something appeared on Crugan's hand, from his wound. It was a silvery, glowing liquid which poured into the hand he was clutching there. As he pulled his hand away, the liquid took the form of a sphere, glimmering with pure white light. Eragon stared at it, and gasped. It was a spirit. Crugan held it lightly in his arm, then tightened his hold on it as Eragon the First neared him. The spirit turned red in color then, and as Eragon the First raised his sword to stab Crugan in the heart, Crugan grabbed the blade of his sword with his free hand, and smashed his fist which held the spirit, right into Eragon the First's chest with astounding, incredible force.

Eragon the First screamed in pain as the spirit and the bloody fist emerged from his back, spraying blood in every direction. Eragon screamed as well, but Crugan pulled his hand out of Eragon the First's body and threw him away like his nothing more than a rag doll. "You . . ." He said, pointing at Eragon. "You, we will deal with later."

There was a thud as Bid'daum landed on the ground. Eragon stared as the Shade began to walk away, but rage and grief grew within him. Eragon the First was dead, and here he was, cowering like a fool. This was not right, and he knew it. Hefting his sword, he stared at Crugan and yelled, "Face me, coward."

Crugan turned then as Eragon charged, and fell to his knees. Growling with rage, Eragon jumped, Brisingr raised, and brought the sword down with all the strength in his body, intending to tear Crugan apart. As Brisingr fell, Crugan raised his palm, the one that held the spirit, and it collided with the edge of the blue sword.

Pain surged through Eragon's body as Brisingr came to an abrupt halt, a flash of light blinded him as he felt a sense of weightlessness come over him. The next moment, a fist collided with his face and he knew no more.


	102. Chapter 101

_Chapter 101: Love me enough to let me go_

"Eragon!" Deaother shouted, running towards the now heaving body of Eragon the First. The elf was alive, but barely. Neither Crugan, nor his father, was anywhere in sight, something that troubled him immensely.

Vaelia and Saphira were with him. Deaother crouched next to Eragon the First, and stared at him, and at the horrible hole in his chest. "What . . . how did that happen?" Deaother asked him. "Wait I'll-"

"S-stop . . .t-there is no p-point in healing me . . . I-I-I've already lost a lot of blood . . . listen to me . . .C-Crugan is still alive . . . Join your m-mind with m-m-mine . . . I shall s-show you . . ." Eragon the First managed to gasp.

Deaother hurriedly did as he asked, and was taken aback to see how weak the elf's consciousness was. He was fighting just to stay alive. Half of it was just . . . dead. There were no thoughts, nothing there. Deaother realized that it was the part of his being that had already stopped functioning. As soon as Deaother entered the old elf's mind, a surge of memories and knowledge rushed into him. He gasped slowly, then placed a hand on elf's shoulder. "How can I kill him?"

"S-S-Stab him twice . . . in the heart . . . to r-r-release the spirits . . ." The elf said, then he grabbed Deaother by the shoulder and whispered. "Your f-f-father . . . I-I-I am s-sorry for w-what happened to him." And he fell back gasping.

Dread filled Deaother's mind as he saw the memories that Eragon the First had given him. His father's blow had been blocked by Crugan, then they had both disappeared in a blaze of red light, leaving behind nothing but ashes. Deaother saw it again, and again, and again. It didn't make any sense to him, what had happened, how it could have happened.

"Is he . . . Is my father dead?" Deaother asked the dying elf.

"I . . . I-I doubt C-C-Crugan would keep him alive." Eragon the First said. "Y-You stand a chance . . .y-y-your abilities . . . h-h-he has not f-faced them b-before . . .k-kill him, D-Deaother."

Deaother stared at the dying elf, someone so powerful he could not even try to fathom his strength, and here he lay, helpless and near death. But, Deaother knew that if he was to free his mother, and ensure the safety of his home, he would have to do this. So he grabbed the elf's hand firmly, "I promise you . . . I will." He replied. Eragon the First's hand went limp several moments later, and he closed his eyes and exhaled for one last time, joining the Void with his dragon.

Deaother stood up then, fighting back tears, as Vaelia wrapped an arm around his chest. "Your father might be alive . . . we don't know yet."

"I sure hope so . . ." Deaother muttered, but that didn't ease the tension knotting in his chest. He was at the brink of losing both his parents, a prospect he feared with all his being.

The battle for Carvahall was almost over. The arrival of dwarves and the remaining human troops had thrown the Ra'zac towards the edge. With the arrival of the wild dragons, victory had been sealed. Now, the Lethrblaka and the Ra'zac were in retreat, heading for their ships, Deaother did not know what their plan was, but he knew that they would find some way to reach Ellesmera, which was exactly where he was going to go. Zar'rac was there, as was his mother.

Several hours passed, but the battle was finally over. The Ra'zac had boarded their ships and were even now sailing down the Anora River. The dragons were giving chase, destroying their ships and killing Lethrblaka.

Deaother was outside Carvahall with Vaelia, and was walking towards Saphira, Valinor and Draumr, who were next to Thorn's body. Nasuada was there, crying her eyes out. Deaother had found out about Murtagh's death soon after Eragon the First had departed the land of the living, and it had created a deep void in his chest. He had always been close to his uncle, and the loss had grieved him immensely. But he knew that he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him. There would be time to mourn, but this wasn't it.

He walked to his aunt, and slowly pulled her into his arms as she cried for the death of her husband. "We will avenge him . . . we will kill the Shade for this." He told her, and she nodded, her tears striking his tunic and sparkling in the moonlight. "I promise you this."

"Y-You won't be doing it a-alone." Nasuada said. "I am coming with you."

 _The Lethrblaka that killed Thorn escaped us._ Valinor told Deaother.

 _Any news of Eragon?_ Draumr asked.

 _He is not dead . . . but I don't know where he is._ Saphira said, startling them all. _But I am going to find him, wherever he might be._

 _I have a feeling he will turn up when he must._ Deaother told them as he stroke Nasuada's head comfortingly. _But right now . . . we are going to march to Ellesmera, free my mother and kill those Shades._

 _We'll need a plan._ Valinor said.

 _No plans, Valinor, we can't wait now. They are in the retreat, and I am pretty sure we are in a condition to give chase._ Deaother told him.

 _Will Crugan be there?_ Saphira asked him.

 _. . . No, he is holed up in his sanctuary in one of those hills. We will get him though, after we take Ellesmera._ Deaother replied. He even knew where the sanctuary was, thanks to the memories given to him by Eragon the First.

 _Sounds fine to me._ Valinor replied.

 _Let's talk to the other leaders first_. Draumr said.

They waited for Nasuada, then left Saphira next to Thorn, whose eldunari was lying next to his body. Deaother, Vaelia and Nasuada walked towards the city, when they ran into Angrenost and Orik. Deaother told them that he needed to talk, but they had to find Yurgrovazh first. They found the Kull with his own troops, telling them how gloriously they had fought. When Deaother finally managed to get all the leaders together, along with the dragon who led the wild dragons, they stood apprehensively to listen to what he had to say.

"We have won here, that's well and good . . . but the threat has not been defeated completely. They are in retreat towards Ellesmera as we speak, and we have to stop them before they bring any more reinforcements." Deaother told them slowly.

"Where is Eragon?" Orik asked. "My foster brother, not the old Eragon."

"My father is . . . I don't know where, he and Crugan disappeared in a blaze of light from what Eragon the First told me . . . who is dead now." Deaother said, and there was a gasp of surprise from them.

Deaother then began to tell them what all had transpired when he and Eragon had attacked Crugan. He told them of the traitors Phriones and Hugin, how they were both killed by him and Saphira. He also told them what had happened to Bid'daum and Eragon the First and how his father had disappeared. When he was done, Angrenost seemed knocked out of his wits, Orik looked flabbergasted, Yurgrovazh and the dragon seemed calm but shocked nonetheless, and Vaelia was expressionless. But Deaother knew that she was more shocked that anyone else there.

When he had been talking, they had been joined by two Riders, Elva and Ephian, who had been listening with extreme interest all this time. Now, he stood in front of them, and said. "We must go after them and be done with this menace as soon as possible."

It took a while for them to understand what he was saying, but when they did, Angrenost said, "I agree whole heartedly, pushing them back means that they will just return with greater numbers, we must defeat them while we still can."

"I agree with you." Orik said. Yurgrovazh nodded, and they all turned to Vaelia. "This is the capital of elves we are going to reclaim, the elves will be in the front." She said firmly.

"With the dwarves." Orik smiled.

"Of course." Vaelia replied.

Then they turned to the Patriarch of the dragons, who stared at them. _I have seen the destruction the leather-flappers-beaked-Lethrblaka can do. Alagaesia must stand together to face this menace, or we shall all fall . . . the dragons are with you, son of Eragon._

"Then we must move soon . . . hopefully within the next few days." Deaother told them.

The leaders agreed, and the meeting was over within the next few minutes.

Saphira had kept nudging Thorn's conscience with her own, hoping to be able to talk to him. She had failed for the better part of the last two hours, but he seemed to be able to respond to her prodding. He at least seem to notice them. Saphira nudged harder, and the dragon roared in the confines of his mind, trying to push her back.

 _Thorn, it's me._ Saphira said.

 _Saphira?_ Thorn asked her, surprised.

 _Yes . . . now will you talk to me?_ Saphira asked him soothingly.

 _My Rider is dead . . ._ Thorn told her matter-of-factly.

 _I know, and I am hurt and grieved by it . . . and I want you to know that you are not alone, even as you might feel._ Saphira told him.

 _You are the love of my life Saphira . . .but you don't want me as your mate now, you would want to move on with your life._ Thorn told her.

Saphira had managed to enter his mind properly by then, and was almost engulfed in the dragon's grief and despair. Saphira was at a loss, there was nothing that she could do to make him feel better, nothing that she could do to ease his pain. And the more she emotions felt from him, the more she felt that he was right.

 _What is to become of me, Saphira? Am I to live like this forever?_ Thorn asked her.

 _I . . ._ Saphira fell silent, not knowing what to say.

 _You know, as well as I know, I cannot continue like this . . .Saphira I love you, yes, but I just . . . I just love my Rider more. Without him, I won't be able to move on._ Thorn told her with a heavy voice.

 _Why are you saying this? Shouldn't you be angry? Shouldn't you be fierce?_ Saphira asked.

 _I was angry and fierce, and look where it landed me . . . I am a dragon, I cannot stay trapped like this Saphira._ Thorn told her.

 _What do you mean?_ Saphira asked him.

 _You must destroy this eldunari . . . give me my freedom._ Thorn told her.

 _What? No!_ Saphira responded explosively, her voice ringing in Thorn's mind.

 _Listen!_ Thorn said angrily. _I am of no use to you, or anyone, like this. And face it, we won't remain mates any longer . . . you are a beautiful dragoness, and I am sure you will-_

 _Mate with my own children?_ Saphira asked him, equally angry.

 _No . . . mate with dragons from other lands. There are bound to be more in Alalea . . . You will find someone._ Thorn told her. _And you cannot do much to an eldunari . . . I can't give you anymore happiness Saphira._

 _Stop saying this, Thorn, we can still-_

 _Do what? Mate? Have children? No . . . I can't even see you, nor can I protect you . . .I am just a gem, a pitifully small gem . . . you must free me Saphira, I can't stand to live like this . . . and if anyone were to kill me, it should be you, to whom my heart belongs_. Thorn told her.

 _No, I will not!_ Saphira said. _This is what you wanted from the very moment we started talking._ Saphira said, shocked.

 _Saphira, please . . .do not be so selfish as to keep me in this shell just to avoid your own fear of being alone._ Thorn told her, his voice strong.

 _I am not-_

 _You are afraid! That is why you cannot let me go . . .instead, let me go, and avenge the person who took me away from you . . .kill that Lethrblaka! Kill its master . ._.Thorn said.

 _But you must stay alive._ Saphira said.

 _I must go . . . If you refuse, I shall attack the minds of some lowly human, and control him and make him break my heart. Either way, it is to happen. Then why not do it now?_ Thorn asked her.

 _Because I love you too much . . ._ Saphira replied.

 _Then understand my plight, understand my case . . . do it!_ Thorn yelled in her mind.

 _No!_ Saphira replied.

 _Do it, now!_ Thorn roared, lashing at her mind.

Saphira roared as well, fire sprouting from her maw. _I . . . I can't._

 _You can, and you will . . . do it, you know you must!_ Thorn said.

Saphira fell silent for a moment, then said. _I . . . I shall do this . . . But know that it is only because I cannot bear to see you this way._

 _Honesty at last . . . let us end this._ Thorn told her.

 _I shall never forget you._ Saphira told him.

 _I shall await you in the Void._ Thorn replied. _And I shall always love you, Bjarskular._

Saphira then pressed her snout to the red eldunari, which glared brightly, clenched her talons into a huge fist, and brought it smashing onto the gem, smashing her mate's heart of hearts.

"You are woefully quiet today." Vaelia said as Deaother slowly paced around in their room.

"I am . . . I am tensed, worried and afraid for my parents. I can't see myself talking much right now." Deaother replied in a low voice.

"Come here, Deaother . . . let me help you." Vaelia said, and he nodded, sitting next to her on the bed. She put her arms around his head and brought close to her heart, hugging his face. "You are strong, Deaother, you will save them."

"My father, and Eragon the First were both stronger, and together they could not defeat Crugan . . . I am just worried whether I can . . ." Deaother told her.

"I'd rather you didn't fight him at all, I don't want to lose you . . . but I know you won't give up, so I have nothing else to say, except that you must believe in yourself now. Neither of them had your abilities, and you don't have their weakness." Vaelia told him. Deaother raised an eyebrow then. "You are not bonded to a dragon, Crugan can't drive you crazy by attacking a partner of your mind, because you don't have one right now."

"True . . ." Deaother said.

"I always wanted to be a Dragon Rider, you know that?" Vaelia asked.

"No, I didn't." Deaother said, closing his eyes as his exhaustion began to pull him towards his waking dreams.

"What about you?" Vaelia asked him.

"I don't know . . . I guess I would be happy if I was one . . . but I would rather be myself now, as you said, it would be weakness against Crugan." Deaother said.

"Only because he knows how to exploit it . . . but most people don't realize it." Vaelia replied, running her hand through his hair.

"Don't stop . . . I love it when you do that." Deaother said, smiling, and she kissed his forehead.

"Sleep, Deaother . . .You will need your strength tomorrow." Vaelia replied.


	103. Chapter 102

**Chapter 102: Towards Ellesmera**

Three days had passed since the battle for Carvahall, and now, Deaother sat in the saddle on Saphira's back with Vaelia, and along with them were the remaining Riders and dragons, while below them, the army of Alagaesia moved towards Ceunon. They had started in the previous day, and now it was night time. Ceunon was in sight, and they would reach it in a few hours. There, the soldiers would set up camp, then continue their forced march towards Ellesmera.

Saphira did not speak much. She had lost her mate, and there was no sign of her Rider. Deaother felt sorry for her, but there wasn't much he could do. She was a dragoness, and he knew that action would sate her mind much, much faster than words. The same was for Nasuada, who stared at the horizon with her eyes out of focus, gazing at the unfathomable distance.

"I don't want to end up like them, Deaother." Vaelia told him slowly.

"And you won't, I promise." Deaother replied.

They flew on for several more hours. He had shown Saphira his memories, and she was sure that the Shade was weak now, much weaker than before, now that one of his spirits was not within him anymore. But she had also said that he would still remain a ferocious opponent, so Deaother would have to be on his guard.

They reached Ceunon, spent the night there, then took off again the following morning. Deaother flew alone now, as Vaelia said that she needed to be with her troops. Now, Deaother knew he would have to talk to Saphira, and pressed his mind against hers. _Saphira?_

 _Yes, youngling._

 _I know this is annoying, but . . . don't worry about father, he is the best of us, he will find a way to return to us. Be glad that he isn't . . . you know, dead._ Deaother told her, and felt a little irritation in her.

 _Why do you insist-?_

 _Because I love you, know that . . . you are like a second mother to me, the way Valinor is like a second father. Trust me, we can get over this Shade menace, and peace will be restored_. Deaother told her. Saphira didn't reply, but he knew that his words had made an impact, so he withdrew from her, rubbing her neck as she flew. They didn't speak much for the rest of the trip. All the dragons were forced to land as they entered the magical wards of the forest, but they took off after they had passed the barriers.

By noon, they arrived at Osilon, where they did not stop, but kept going, panning to make camp as close to Ellesmera as possible, so that they would be ready to attack the next day. They kept moving, and at time, Deaother thought he saw Crugan's army retreating. But then, they would disappear from his view, and the Lethrblaka were nowhere to be seen so he discarded his thoughts.

Night came swiftly, and finally, the dragons touched down and camp was set up. Deaother got off and hurried to Vaelia's tent, which had been set up in the center of the camp, along the tents of the other leaders. As he reached them, he ran into Angrenost, who nodded at him. Leliana emerged behind him, and smiled slightly at Deaother.

"Is that Rider the same person whom we saw in the mirror?" Angrenost asked Deaother as began to walk away.

"Yes, that's Ephian Jormundorsson. Rider of Jiarha." Deaother told him, then nodded and entered Vaelia's tent, meeting the eyes of the elven guards.

She was there, wearing a green night gown. Deaother smiled as he saw her, and slid next to her, his arm going around her waist. "Tomorrow, we are going to retake Ellesmera." Deaother told her.

"Tomorrow we retake out home." Vaelia told him, kissing his cheek.

* * *  
"Blasted Riders! Blasted dragons! We kill one Eragon, another one just rushes in to take his place." Crugan muttered as he strode into his sanctuary. "And now, we have lost our brother . . . Istlari!" He said, and the place lit up.

He was in a cave, so the walls and the roof formed a semi-circle. The cave led to a gate in front of him, which he kicked open and entered. Now, he was in a huge cavern, which was more like a hall. He had had his servants, the Ra'zac , make this for him when he had been in power more than a millennia ago from the ruins of the ancient elven fortress. He smirked, and lit the place with a muttered word.

Here, he was going to strike this new Eragon where it hurt. He was going to kill his son. Crugan knew that his son would come here and attack him, he had left Eragon, the old one, in a condition that he would pass on his knowledge of this place to the young elf, who would come playing right into his arms.

"For all your experience, Eragon, you have fallen prey to us again . . . we pity you." Crugan said.

* * *

"Prepare the defenses!" Zar'rac announced with a magically magnified voiced, causing every asleep Ra'zac and human in Ellesmera to wake up. "The Queen of the elves has returned with support!"

Within moments, barricades were set up, and Ra'zac and humans were working alike to prepare defenses in the city. When they tried to cut trees to make walls, they got a nasty surprise the entire pine shook, and needles fell to the ground from high up, needles quite large in size, forcing the Ra'zac and the humans to take cover.

Zar'rac strode through the camp, along with Enaevia, right into the Tialdari Hall, from where he turned left and headed for the room reserved for prisoners. There was only one person inside, her hands chained to the walls, and had been given a heavy dose of magic suppressing drug through her water. Even if she refused to eat, there was no way she would refuse water.

"Shadeslayer." Enaevia said, slapping the elf lightly across her face. She looked up then, groggy at first. Her eyes slowly slid back into focus and her stare turned to a glare of rage and hatred as she saw Enaevia.

"Your mate and son have been giving us a lot of trouble, as well as your dragon . . . one would think they have no regard for your own safety." Zar'rac said.

Arya stared at him, then turned away, ignoring the Shade. This act just agitated him, so he kicked her side, making groan and fall to the ground, her chains stopping her from hitting it though. "I . . . don't . . . like . . . being . . . ignored." He muttered to her, and she looked up at him, her eyes that of anger.

"Did I hurt your delicate pride, Shade?" She asked him, and spat at him.

"You will pay for your insolence . . . your son and his mate, the Queen, shall be slain right here, in this room, in front of your eyes." Zar'rac said, and stared at her for a while more, then decided he would torture her later. He then strode out, Enaevia following him.

* * *  
Ephian, Angrenost and Deaother sat in a small group outside their tents, which were all side by side, all too troubled to sleep. Ephian had a bottle of Faelnivr in his hand, which he took a sip from, then passed to Angrenost, who also took a sip, and passed to Deaother, who muttered an oath. The bottle was half empty, but he took a gulp anyway.

"So . . .you're going to take on Crugan?" Ephian asked him, his voice slippery. The drink was taking effect.

"Oh yes, and I am going to kill him." Deaother replied. "And that, fellows whom I saw in mirrors, is why I can't sleep. What about you, Prince?"

"Men don't stand a chance against Lethrblaka, Ra'zac or Shades . . . and yet me and my men are here, fighting a battle we could never win without help from other races . . . how would we survive without them?" Angrenost asked. "And I am the one to lead them now."

"Do not worry, as long as there are Riders, you will get help." Ephian said, placing a hand on his shoulder, and taking another sip of Faelnivr as it was passed to him.

"Hmm . . ." Angrenost said as Ephian handed him the bottle.

"What about you, Rider?" Deaother asked.

"Me? . . . My masters are dead . . . and my heart refuses to accept this." Ephian said.

The Faelnivr was making them talk to each other as if they were old friends, and knew that their secrets would be safe with each other. "What does that other Rider . . . what's her name? Yes, Elva Shadeslayer, what does she say about this?" Angrenost asked him.

"I haven't told her . . . we just got together, I don't want her to think I am a whelp." Ephian told them.

"You are not a whelp to feel bad for your mentors . . . my father is missing, and my mother is being held hostage at the city to the left . . . and I have no idea how to free her . . . You can't be in a worse condition than me." Deaother said, raising the bottle Faelnivr as if he had won a competition. He pressed it to his lips, but the bottle was empty. "Err . . . have you got anymore?"

"I have mead." Angrenost put in.

"Let's have it then . . . and let's make a plan to save Arya Shadeslayer, she is an elder of the council, and . . . I should help in saving her." Ephian said.

"What do you have in mind?" Deaother asked as Angrenost came with three bottles of mead.

"We . . . We . . . enter the city from the side of the Menoa tree. You said she went . . . violent, so we use that . . . no one will be anywhere near her. From then on, it's a simple matter of using magic to keep yourself invisible, and moving from tent to tent to find her. It will most probably be the tent which has guards." Ephian told him.

"And you must do this when we . . . when we attack, it will be a good enough distraction." Angrenost told him.

"And I can take only one person with me." Deaother muttered, and looked up at both of them.

"I am not going, ask him." Ephian said, pointing at Angrenost.

"I . . . can't, Leliana will kill me before the Shade can." Angrenost said.

"I bet she will . . . No matter, I will take Everaun with me." Deaother told him.

"The elven Rider stationed in Ellesmera?" Ephian asked him.

"He was stationed there, friend, which is why I am taking him, he knows the place like the back of his hand." Deaother replied. "And no Menoa tree, I have another plan that will take me directly to the heart of the city."

"Sounds sensible enough." Ephian replied.

"Wait a moment, and look at the three of us here . . ." Angrenost said. They both turned to him with raised eyebrows, and he took a long draught from his mead. "I mean, how different are we?"

"True . . ." Ephian said. Deaother nodded in acknowledgement.

"I mean, you . . . Deaother . . . you are immortal, an elf, and a mate to a Queen, son of the Lead Rider." Angrenost said, then turned to Ephian. "You are also immortal, a Rider, you are bonded with a dragon, you are in love with another Rider . . . you are the son of the first General of the new Broddring Kingdom . . ."

"And look at you!" Deaother said, grinning, "A king-to-be, with a very strong and highly trained woman . . . roused an entire nation from peace and saved the capital, without which we wouldn't have been able to protect Alagaesia."

"I have feeling that we are all going to down in history . . . at least Elva is, she is a Shadeslayer." Ephian told them.

"A toast then!" Deaother said, raising his bottle of mead.

"Sure . . ." Angrenost said.

"To Alagaesia . . ." Ephian said.

"No . . . to love!" Angrenost said.

"No! What's the matter with you? . . . no . . . to killing more Ra'zac than either of you tomorrow!" Deaother said.

"Cheers to that!" Ephian and Angrenost said, too drowsy to understand what he had said. Several minutes passed in silence as Deaother kept staring at the Horizon.

"Dawn can't come any faster, can it?" Deaother asked them, but they were all already asleep. Apparently, elves were pretty much immune to mead than the humans, especially if they had also had Faelnivr earlier.


	104. Chapter 103

**Chapter 103: To Startle a Shade**

It was early morning, and extremely cold in the forest of Du Weldenvarden. There were no rays from the sun in the horizon, and the moon was fading in the distance. It was the perfect time.

Two elves crept around the outer fringes of the city of Ellesmera, searching. "Dawn is coming, we better find this tunnel fast." One of them, Everaun, said.

"Aye, it's just a little ahead . . ." Deaother replied.

"I'm still not convinced, Deaother, how are we going to get out?" Everaun asked him.

"I wouldn't worry about that until we get in, my friend." Deaother replied.

"Stop being so calm and answer the question." Everaun replied.

"I don't know yet, but hopefully we can slip in, get my mother, and slip out." Deaother replied.

"Are you certain about that?" Everaun pressed.

"I am certain that it won't happen, and we will land in a fight anyway, but do not worry, I have made the necessary arrangements." Deaother said.

"You just want me to tell Phiole to roar?" Everaun was still bemused.

"Yes, then follow Saphira, she knows what to do." Deaother replied.

"Oh alright, but know this, I am only helping because you are a dear friend, and your mother was one of my mentors, otherwise I would prefer to be in the heat of the battle." Everaun said.

"I am glad you are with me, my friend." Deaother smiled at him, then pointed at a tree. "It's below that tree." They both hurried towards the burrow, and Deaother climbed in, followed by Everaun. Within minutes they were in the cavern that held the magic waters, and Deaother stood in front of the underground lake, searching for the opening that would lead them to the Tialdari Hall.

"I have heard of this place. But I never exactly came to see it with my own eyes." Everaun told him.

"This how I escaped Ellesmera when it was attacked, along with Vaelia and . . . Worian." Deaother said, and scanned the walls of the cavern. "If I am not wrong, we can enter the Tialdari hall from here directly, circumventing any wards Zar'rac might have placed, and also all the Ra'zac that stand between us and the Hall."

"You are sure your mother is in the Hall?" Everaun asked.

"Where else can they keep her?" Deaother replied.

"True . . ." He said and was silent after that.

"There!" Deaother said, and pointed at a small, dark patch which, he was sure, he had fallen from when they had escaped Ellesmera. "We will need magic to get that high, though." It was several feet above the surface of water.

It took them some minutes, but they both managed to get to the tunnel, and began to climb up the steep incline, with the water running down in the center, forcing them to use magic so that they wouldn't slip and fall. They climbed for what felt like hours, even though it couldn't have been more than one, and finally, the slope gradually grew flat, and they found themselves in front of a wall which, Deaother knew, opened up to the room of the Tialdari Hall which had a single stream of water flowing through it.

"There must be a switch somewhere, I suppose?" Everaun said, and began to search the sides of the wall from where the stream entered, looking for something to press.

"Wait, it's on the other side, but I think we can reach it." Deaother said. He crouched in the water and began to search the other side of the wall, his hand reaching out from the gap which allowed the stream to flow.

After a few moments of searching, he found it, the very pressure plate that Solembum had pressed so many days ago. He pressed it, and the stream splashed down as the floor opened wide on the other side of the wall. "Come on." Deaother said, and crawled through the opening, his clothes becoming wet. They had decided not to wear armor as it would make a lot of noise, and stealth was of the essence.

Deaother and Everaun climbed into the room, and remained crouched. "Stick to the shadows." Everaun said, and they both advanced towards the door. There was sunlight outside, which meant that sneaking around, searching every room, was going to be difficult. Deaother muttered a spell, making himself invisible, and felt a little dizzy as his feet disappeared below him. Everaun did the same.

They slowly opened the door, and Deaother gasped slightly, there were Ra'zac almost everywhere, on the walls, walking as if on patrol past each and every door of the Hall. Three were coming towards them in that instant. Deaother muttered a curse and slid out of the room, Everaun right behind him. They crept away from the room, hurrying before the Ra'zac walked right into them.

But for all their planning, they had forgotten something, something extremely important. The Ra'zac could smell them, which was exactly why they were heading for their room. Deaother and Everaun found themselves heading right towards another set of Ra'zac , and turned, forced to head towards the center of the hall. This proved to be a fatal mistake.

"You think you are so . . . clever, don't you?" A smooth voice said. Deaother turned around, and his eyes widened. Zar'rac was standing there, a cloak around his shoulders, looking as horrible as ever. But the worst thing was, he was staring right at them. "The Ra'zac have already told me about your presence, so please honor yourselves and pull off the spell, my good elves."

Deaother was shocked, not because their original plan was jeopardized, but because he and Everaun were now outnumbered, heavily. And even if they didn't reveal, the Ra'zac would just grab them and they would be killed even before they could begin to hope for escape. Fear wormed its way into his mind, but with it came determination and love for his mother. He wasn't going to give in so easily, but if staying hidden was going to do them no good, he was willing to take the risk.

"Letta." Deaother muttered, ending the invisibility spell and standing upright, his eyes boring into Zar'rac's. The Shade had a horrible sneer of triumph, and he walked towards Deaother, clapping as he did so. Everaun appeared next to him then, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Deaother knew he making a plan to get themselves out of this situation, but he already knew what to do.

"Look at who's come home . . . If it isn't Deaother Eragonsson, the one who slew Phriones. I must say, I am a little glad you did, I didn't like the elf much." Zar'rac said, walking down the steps as the Ra'zac pushed them right to the center of the Hall, surrounding them from every side.

Deaother stared at him for a while before saying. "Where is my mother?" His voice was loud and strong, it didn't falter nor did it give any sing of his fear.

"Right to the point, eh? She is there, in that room . . ." Zar'rac said, pointing at a room to the right. Deaother continued to frown at him, so he raised his eyebrows. "You don't believe me? You two, bring her out . . ."

Deaother then turned to see two Ra'zac holding Arya by her hands and dragging her out of the room. She was either unconscious or dead, but either way, it took Deaother all his self-control to not run to her, kill both the Ra'zac with his powers and get her to safety. "She is alive, if that's what you are wondering . . . I promised her that I would slit your throat, along with that mate of yours, right in front of her. Wake her!" Zar'rac, nodding at the Ra'zac , who slapped Arya across her face.

Rage grew in Deaother, and he shouted, "You dare!"

"Oh yes they do . . . what can you do Deaother? You army lies outside the Tialdari Hall, even if they attack, Enaevia can hold them off long enough for me to finish off my business with you." The Shade sneered.

Another Ra'zac appeared next to him then, but this one was different. It was hooded, but Deaother could see that is beak was red in color, unlike the others, and that it had a gem on its neck. This Ra'zac, he knew, was being controlled by Crugan. "I am not surprised to see that you are not here, Crugan!" Deaother shouted at the Ra'zac.

"You have courage, elf, to address me in such a manner . . . but I do have a message for you." The Ra'zac said in a throaty voice, devoid of its hiss. "I, Crugan, the Birth of Death, invite you, Deaother son of Eragon, to a duel, if you survive Zar'rac. I am sure Eragon the First must have told you where I am, the elf was almost bursting with knowledge he would have loved to pass on, but how predictable . . . he gave you just what you needed. Pathetic!" Crugan finished, and had the Ra'zac tap the gem on the necklace. The Ra'zac then shuddered, as if it had just realized where it was and what was happening.

Deaother forced himself to calm down as his fingers curled to fists, then turned to Everaun and nodded. Everaun gave him a look of confusion, then recognition darted across his face for a fraction of a moment. He had understood what he was supposed to do.

"What was that? You and your friend are planning something." Zar'rac shouted, whipping out a knife.

"Don't worry Zar'rac, we won't be doing anything to you right now." Deaother said and smiled spitefully.

"Be as it may, I do not trust you . . . Grab them both, better end this while we-"

A roar went up from the distance, causing Zar'rac to fall silent and eye Deaother angrily. But his anger soon turned to horror as, another roar sounded, then more, and finally, as if unison, more than a hundred roars followed, startling everyone in the Tialdari Hall, except Deaother and Everaun, whom Phiole had told Saphira's plan as soon as he had contacted the dragon at Deaother's signal.

"What in-?" Zar'rac began, but fell silent and thirty or so dragons dived from the sky towards the Hall. They swooped down and alighted themselves just above the Hall, for a moment so that the Riders on their backs could jump down. The Ra'zac shot arrows at them, but to no avail for the dragons were protected by wards.

Right before a completely dumbstruck Zar'rac, the remaining Riders of Alagaesia joined Deaother and Everaun, all present to save the Lead Rider's mate, their second Senior Member of the Council. They all drew their brightly colored swords, humans and elves alike, and stared at Zar'rac. Deaother grinned with equal satisfaction now, the look on the Shade's face was something he was never going to forget. For the first time in his life, Zar'rac was startled out of his mind.

"Now . . . we are even." Deaother said. Nasuada came to his side, her face in a deep scowl. "Today, Zar'rac, the Riders stand together to retake Ellesmera and to destroy your pitiful conquest once and for all." Deaother shouted and drew his sword.

"Riders!" Nasuada yelled. "Leave none of these befouled creatures alive!"

Zar'rac must have returned to his senses, because he tore his cloak away from his body and drew another knife from his belt. He had several blades with him, strapped to his belt, shoulders, arms, knees and ankles. "Ra'zac! Men! Attack them!"

Before they could, fire coated Deaother's arm, and he threw it to the sky with all his strength. It flew high as a fireball, breaking past the pines. Deaother snapped his fingers, and the ball exploded with an enormous burst of light and sound. But it could not mask the unmistakable shrieks of the Lethrblaka as they took to the air to face the dragons.

"That's the signal!" Vaelia said, pointing at the fire in the sky. "Prepare to charge!"

"There will be archers on the trees, take them down first." Angrenost shouted to his own archers.

"Let me in the front!" Orik said, joining Vaelia, Yurgrovazh and Angrenost.

"Time to regain my home . . ." Vaelia said, staring at the other leaders. They nodded at her, then raised their weapons as one.

"Charge, for Alagaesia!" They yelled in unison.

Saphira led the dragons, high above the city, and watched as the Lethrblaka also rose. Their numbers were now almost equa; and with a single glance she found her mark, the leader of the Lethrblaka, the creature which had killed Bid'daum and also the reason why her mate was dead. She was going to claim its life, and she was going live to tell the tale.

She led the dragons in a loop, so that now they were flying head on against the Lethrblaka. Saphira kept her eyes one her prey, immersing herself in her rage, wanting to, willing to tear the creature scale by scale, hide by hide for what it had done to her mate, and to Bid'daum. Valinor and Draumr where with her, but she was going to take care of the abomination on her own.

They flew in straight formation, as did the Lethrblaka, and within moments, they were upon each other. Saphira made sure she was flying directly towards their leader, and roared. Just before they could collide, she tipped her wings to the side, causing her to become upside down, and glide harmlessly below the huge Lethrblaka, whose talons swiped nothing but air. Before the creature could realize what had transpired, Saphira let out a huge mass of fire at its chest and belly. The Lethrblaka shrieked and flapped faster, but not before Saphira's struck its face, dazing it.

Saphira raked its belly with her talons, then flapped up as it passed completely. She followed from high above, and when she was directly over it, she tucked her wings close to herself. She fell towards the Lethrblaka, and with her huge weight, smashed onto the leathery creature's back, making it scream in pain. She sank the claws of her hindlegs in its back, satisfied with the pain she was causing, and took to tearing away chunks of its flesh, scratching is shoulders. She then jumped forward, grabbed its neck with her forelegs and bit at it will her force. Bitter tasting, greenish blood dipped into her mouth, but it didn't seem to affect the Lethrblaka much.

The creature retaliated by flapping to the side turning abruptly in the opposite direction, throwing her off its back. Saphira fell for a moment, and the creature dived after her, but unfurled one of her wings, causing her to turn so that she was falling side first. The Lethrblaka made to slash at her, but she unfurled her other wing and flapped to the side, dodging its attacks. The Lethrblaka fell below her then, and she dove after it.

Far ahead, the aerial battle resumed, but this time the advantage was in the hands of the dragons, because of their surprising attack. But it wasn't going to last long, and in the end, it all came down to the leader who survived. Was it going to be Saphira or the Lethrblaka who slew Bid'daum and Thorn?

Arrows whistled over Deaother's head and he sprinted towards Zar'rac, who also sprinted towards him. Knives raced at him, but they flew to the side as Deaother swerved down, falling to the ground a heartbeat later.

Deaother had drawn his sword, and he was determined to kill the Shade before things went out of hand. Zar'rac also felt the same way, and as the Riders charged towards the Ra'zac, the fate of Ellesmera was to be decided in its heart, the Tialdari Hall.

Zar'rac swiped at Deaother chest as he neared the Shade. Deaother had no armor, no protection against the blades. But it also meant that he was faster. Deaother didn't block, but fell to his knees, sliding below the dagger. With his left hand, he jumped to his feet and charged after Zar'rac, who whipped his arm backwards. Deaother caught the blow on the cross guard of his sword, but before Zar'rac could stab him with his other blade, Deaother bashed his head onto the Shade's, stunning him for a heartbeat. It was all he needed. Grabbing the Shade by the collar of his shirt, Deaother threw him against the wall of the Tialdari Hall with all his strength. Zar'rac hit the wall and fell to the ground, then gave Deaother a sly smile. "You are weak."

"So you say, yet you are the one on the ground, why is that?" Deaother asked him. The shade shook his head and took to his feet, glowering at Deaother for a while. He held his daggers in his hands, and charged once more.

Deaother parried a blow from one of his daggers, jumped back to avoid the other, and grabbed his wrist as he tried to jab him. Yelling, Deaother kicked his arm with his knee, forcing him to drop the blade, and blocked the blow from the second dagger with his sword. He punched Zar'rac in the face, making him fall back, and brought his sword down with all his strength, right onto Zar'rac's wrist. The shade's hand moved back, fortunately for him, and Deaother hit his dagger instead, knocking it out of his fingers.

Zar'rac glared at him as he was disarmed, then ducked under Deaother's blow and smashed into his chest as if he was embracing it, knocking the wind out of Deaother. They fell to the ground, wrestling to gain an advantage, and Zar'rac managed to kick Deaother's sword away. It was now a duel of fists, which Deaother knew he could win. But Zar'rac had a huge advantage, he was on top and was pressing Deaother down.

Deaother punched his face, but the Shade just laughed and gripped his throat tightly as Deaother tried to push him to the side. Deaother gasped and grabbed his arms, trying to force them away. But the Shade had an iron grip, and Deaother gasped again, this time heavily, as he was unable to breath. Zar'rac slammed Deaother head on the ground, making lights pop up in front of his eyes. He wasn't getting any air, his hands were useless. He tried to punch Zar'rac again, but his hand was weak, and instead of hitting his face, it hit his shoulder.

Deaother's vision began to blur as the Shade's fingers tightened even more, his grip unbreakable. Deaother groped around blindly, but couldn't find anything. _No! This is not how it ends!_ Deaother thought to himself.

Images flashed past him, his first kiss with Vaelia, his mother being kidnapped, his mate becoming the Queen, the hole in Eragon the First's chest, everything came to him in the span of a few heartbeats, as he began to feel that they were his last.

 _No! No! No!_ He told himself, his hand was on Zar'rac's shoulder, while his other hand, the right one, searched the ground for something he could use. He couldn't find anything at first, but then something cold and metalling touched his fingers. It was his left hand, the one on Zar'rac's shoulder, and he realized it was the Shade's knife. Without thinking, he grabbed it, yanked it out, and plunged it into the Shade's shoulder.

Zar'rac yelled in pain and his grip loosened. Deaother gasped, able to breathe again, but his respite was short as Zar'rac grabbed the folds of his tunic with both hands, hoisted his up and threw him towards the wall of the Tialdari Hall. Deaother returned to his sense a moment before he collided, and just as he was about to, he remembered his powers.

His skin itched and tingled as his back turned to stone, an impenetrable armor. In the next heartbeat, he smashed into the wall, and made a wide hole in it as he went right through the wall due to his rock hard back. He fell to the ground and groaned, but before he could get to his feet, Zar'rac jumped into the room, grabbed him again, and again threw him against another wall the one right behind Deaother, with all the force that he could muster, which was great indeed.

For a second time, Deaother smashed through the walls and this time emerged outside the Tialdari Hall. Dust and stones flew in every direction and he rolled on the soil, moaning in pain. Zar'rac climbed out and laughed. "You are still alive?"

Deaother stood up slowly, outraged. "Something you are not going to be for long, friend!" He charged, fire coating his left hand, lightning coating his right.

Vaelia grabbed a Ra'zac as it sprung towards her, sword raised, and threw it aside. She knew that one her guards would take care of it. It was only from above that a Ra'zac had actually been able to get to her. Their force smashed against that of the Ra'zac and humans, swords clashing, spears shattering and teeth clattering as maces bashed against shields. Vaelia had her guards were at the front, carving a way through the army.

Vaelia's guards were able to take down every Ra'zac and human that stood against them. That was, until they came face to face with the traitor, Enaevia and her guards of Ra'zac, who managed to disrupt Vaelia's guards as their forces clashed. Vaelia joined the fray, helping her guards to fend off the Ra'zac, cutting off those creatures with impunity. She wished Deaother would have been with her. He would not have let anything happen to her, and he always gave her a sense of security that no amount of guards could give. But she knew that he was fighting his own battle against the shade Zar'rac at the Tialdari Hall.

Her guards scrambled, forced to defend the sides as the Ra'zac surged towards them from the left and right, at Enaevia's command. As it so happened, Vaelia found herself face to face with the traitor. She was wearing dark leather armor, with metal squalders and gauntlets. Vaelia was wearing a brilliantly shining plated armor, which gave her extreme mobility. She stared at Enaevia and held her sword ready. Enaevia readied her own blade. "So, Queen . . . are you ready to follow in the footsteps of your father?"

"I have nothing to say to you!" Vaelia replied and charged.

"Why do monarchs always make the same mistakes?" Enaevia asked her. "You should have joined us when you had the chance."

"I never had the chance, you and your lover of a Shade were busy trying to kill me!" Vaelia shouted at her. This seemed to have struck a nerve, because Enaevia didn't reply but parried the blow Vaelia threw at her.

Enaevia then began a flurry of blows that Vaelia had a hard time keeping track off. Left first, then right, followed from the top, then again left, she reacted instinctively, blocking and dodging each and every blow. She then swerved to the side as Enaevia tried to jab at her. Yelling, she slashed at her head. Enaevia moved at the last moment, far enough so that the sword didn't cut off her head, but gave her a shallow cut across the neck. Vaelia smiled.

"You will pay for that." Enaevia told her, and charged again. Vaelia blocked her blow, and kicked her back, and began attacking. She swung at her thigh, her blow was blocked. She thrust at her heart, but Enaevia parried. Vaelia then jabbed at her side, but the elf dodged by jumping back. She then charged forward, sword held straight, before Vaelia could pull her sword back.

Vaelia tried to block the blow, but caught the blade of Enaevia's sword below the hilt of her own. Enaevia yanked upwards, pulling Vaelia's sword out of her hand and throwing to somewhere to the side. Vaelia gasped then, and jumped to the side, dodging her slash. "You won't be able to dodge forever, Queen!" Enaevia said and jabbed at her shoulder. Vaelia jumped back again, escaping the blade's reach. But she was running out of room, and soon there would be nowhere left to move.

"Die!" Enaevia shouted jumped forward, her sword stabbing forward faster than Vaelia had expected. . .

Vaelia couldn't think, her body wasn't responding. There was no way she would be able to move fast enough to avoid the sword, and there was no way to defend against it. She closed her eyes and moved instinctively, to the left. It didn't save her.

The sword ran through her flesh, making her scream, and emerged on the other side from her back. Enaevia yelled in triumph as Vaelia fell to the ground, blood pouring out from the front of her wound and form the back. Vaelia fell flat to the ground, and looked at her chest. It was . . . alright. The sword had gone through the flesh and bone of her shoulder. It had not killed her, but had maimed her. She wouldn't be able to use her left hand, permanently, if somebody didn't heal her soon.

Enaevia laughed and raised her sword. "The end, Queen!" She slashed downwards, and this time, Vaelia couldn't move at all. She was frozen, her thoughts vanished, her mind was clear. Blood pumped through her body, and poured out of her injuries. She closed her eyes, making peace with her impending doom, knowing completely that there was nothing for it now. She had lost, she had failed her father, she had failed Deaother . . . whose mother was captured, father was missing, and uncle was dead. Now, he was going to lose his mate as well . . .

Saphira felt something powerful bash her shoulder, knocking her out of her flying course, but she growled and spread her wings wide, turning to face the Lethrblaka as it charged after her, bloodlust evident in its eyes.

Saphira waited until it was upon her, then furled her wings, tucking them close to her side so that she was free falling through the air. The Lethrblaka followed suit, it was faster than her, but she knew how to use that to her advantage. She fell for a thousand feet, and looked back to see the creature snapping at her tail. She then rolled to the side, unfurled her wings and stopped herself, while the Lethrblaka screeched in frustration and fell several hundred feet before it could align itself properly.

By the time it did, Saphira had dived forward and smashed her tail on its face, again. Before it could react, she flew across its back, setting it on fire as she did. The Lethrblaka turned to face her, but she was already out of it sight. It then shrieked as Saphira's talon's grabbed its belly in four different places, and Saphira burnt a huge portion of it. Before the Lethrblaka could stop her, she tore away huge chunks of its flesh with her talons. She dodged its foreleg as it tried to swat her away, then slashed apart its belly and chest, blood gushing out in huge amounts from several different places.

The Lethrblaka shrieked again, but Saphira began to flap away. She moved swiftly, and gained altitude as fast as she could. The Lethrblaka gave chase, its beak snapping in her direction. Saphira kept on climbing until she was high enough to blend into the clouds. The Lethrblaka followed her into the fluffy mist, and immediately lost sight of her. It began to flap hurriedly, clearing away the cloud. It still couldn't find her anywhere.

Then, pain raced across its left wing, and talons grabbed at its hide. The Lethrblaka immediately realized Saphira's plan, but it was already too late. Saphira bit its wing, while holding onto its side with her talons, and tore it away savagely, blood gushing out. The Lethrblaka squealed, but twisted around smashed Saphira with its paw, knocking her back. But the damage was done, and it began to fall as his wing proved to be completely useless. But it had no intention of dying without killing at least one dragon. So, its tail coiled around Saphira, stopping her from unfurling her wings, and pulling her down with her.

Saphira roared, and tried to break free but the Lethrblaka was too strong. She bit her tail, to no avail. They fell towards the ground at a tremendous speed, and Saphira roared again in desperation, knowing she would have to break free within the next few seconds, or the Lethrblaka would succeed in killing her, even though it was dying as well.

Vaelia took one last breath, and waited for the cold steel to tear flesh apart from shoulder to hip.

 _Clang!_ Was what she heard in her next heartbeat, and she gasped, her eyes flying open. Enaevia had a look of rage on her face, her sword was an inch away from Vaelia's uninjured shoulder, But another sword was blocking Enaevia' blade, and Vaelia looked up to see the least expected person

"Worian?" She muttered, for a moment forgetting her pain and doom.


	105. Chapter 104

**Chapter 104: End of the Pain**

"You again!" Enaevia snapped and pulled her sword back. Worian stepped in front of Vaelia, a deep frown on his face.

"It is about time the people of Nadindel were avenged." Worian said, and attacked her.

Vaelia hurriedly began to heal herself, as it was all her guards could do to keep the Ra'zac from swarming over her. It took several minutes, during which Worian and Enaevia exchanged several blows. Worian was holding her back, but he looked exhausted and starved. His cheekbones were plainly visible, his clothes and armor hung loosely on his extremely thin body and the skin under his eyes was black.

One of Vaelia's guards came to her side and began to heal her as well, speeding up the process. Her bone mended first, followed by sinew and flesh. She stood up steadily, and waved her left arm around. She was fine now. "Let us kill the traitor." She told her guard, and they both charged at Enaevia, who was battering Worian's sword from side to side.

Vaelia bashed her shoulder into Enaevia's chest, making her fall back. Her guard jumped forward, sword slicing the air. But then, his sword was knocked aside by one of the Ra'zac. Two more jumped at them, and Worian attacked them both furiously. That left Vaelia against Enaevia for the second time. "Come on!" She shouted and charged at Vaelia, who blocked the blow. Enaevia pushed her back, but Vaelia threw her off, making her stumble as she landed on her feet.

Vaelia then smashed her own sword on the cross guard of Enaevia's. Enaevia gasped as her hand swung around without her will. Before she should react, Vaelia grabbed her neck hard and squeezed. "I have had enough of you . . . now DIE!" Vaelia yelled at Enaevia and ran her sword right through her body, making her shudder and gag. "For the people of Nadindel, Ellesmera . . . and for my father!" She pulled her sword out and loped off Enaevia's head.

Deaother blocked Zar'rac punch with his left hand, making him yell as the leather under his metal armor caught fire. Deaother then punched his chest, the lightning in his hand conducted across the Shade's body, his steel plated armor increasing the effect tremendously. Deaother laughed as Zar'rac shuddered, grabbed his face with both his hands, making his scream, then smashed his knee onto the Shade's face, throwing his back several yards.

Deaother turned then to see Vaelia leading the army towards Ellesmera. The Ra'zac and humans, who were still more in number, were retreating towards the Tialdari Hall, where the Riders were present. Deaother knew that the must have already killed enough Ra'zac to be able to deal with the incoming force with impunity.

He then turned back to the Shade, who was getting to his feet, burns on his face. "I . . . underestimated you, Son of Eragon."

"Yes you did . . . and it looks like that is going to be the end of you." Deaother said, beginning to walk towards him.

Zar'rac stared at him, then at his army which was in retreat. He even looked up to see the huge Lethrblaka falling towards them ground. A wave of hopelessness passed through his face, which gave Deaother immense satisfaction. "I shall tear each and everyone of you apart with my bare hands if I . . . if we . . . if I have to!" Zar'rac yelled, and charged.

Fire coated Deaother fist and grasped Zar'rac's hand just before it landed, and he threw the Shade over his head. Zar'rac landed, but sprung to his feet immediately. Deaother began to charge, but Zar'rac whipped his arms around in a blur. Deaother's eyes widened and he sent a burst of wind, knocking the knives out of the air as they flew towards him.

Zar'rac swore at the top of his voice, and charged towards Deaother as well. Deaother began to punch forward, but Zar'rac ducked under the blow and punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Before Deaother could retaliate, he smashed his fist onto Deaother's chin, making his teeth chatter. Deaother felt himself fly off his feet due to the force of the hit, and he landed on his back as pain shot across his face. He gasped, and the fire and lightning died out from hands as his vision blurred.

Zar'rac jumped on top of hip and punched his face twice. Deaother felt his senses return after the second blow, and kicked the Shade's back with his knees, throwing him over Deaother, who jumped to his feet and kicked the Shade's face, breaking a nose. Turning his fists to stone, he smashed Zar'rac back with a bone breaking blow. Zar'rac yelled in pain as he back bent at an awkward angle. But he muttered a word, and it snapped back upright, and he kicked at Deaother.

Deaother flew back and smashed against a tree, twenty feet above the air, and fell to his knees when he landed on the ground. Zar'rac stood up and spun around, leg outstretched. Instinctively, Deaother raised his arm, which he had turned to stone. Zar'rac leg smashed against it, and his thigh bone broke into two, making him fall down.

"You cannot defeat me, Zar'rac." Deaother said, and sprung to his feet. Zar'rac healed his leg in an instant, but before he could get, Deaother dived at him, and pressed his knee against Zar'rac's chest, forcing him down. He punched Zar'rac with his left hand, while his right hand grabbed a knife from the Shade's shoulder, where they were sheathed, and drew it. Zar'rac saw the knife in his hand, and his eyes grew wide. "This is the end for you, Shade!" Deaother yelled, and thrust the knife towards Zar'rac's heart.

But the Shade rolled halfway to one side, and knife hit the ground instead. Deaother growled in frustration, and made to pull out the knife, but Zar'rac banged his head onto Deaother's, and kicked him back. Deaother fell to the ground, but hurried to his feet, to see Zar'rac sprinting back into the Tialdari Hall. "Stand and fight!" Deaother yelled and chased after him.

When Deaother entered the Hall, Zar'rac stood frozen in front of the Riders, who had killed all the Ra'zac whom they had been fighting earlier. Most of them were standing at the gate, killing any Ra'zac who entered after retreating from the armies fighting outside. Nasuada stood among the Riders, and with her was Arya, who had an arm over her shoulders. She still seemed weak, but was pretty much alive.

"Nowhere to run, Zar'rac." Deaother told him.

Zar'rac looked at the Riders, who had their swords pointing at him, then at Deaother. "This . . . cannot be . . . We cannot be defeated!" He bellowed.

"You just have been!" Deaother shouted and sent a huge torrent of fire at the Shade, who blew them away with a muttered word.

"We choose to die rather than be defeated!" Zar'rac charged at Deaother, drawing two knives. He slashed at Deaother, who dodged to the left, then to the right, and grabbed Zar'rac's wrist and twisted, breaking his hand. Zar'rac dropped the knife as he yelled in pain, which Deaother grabbed before it fell to the ground and jabbed it towards Zar'rac's back. But the Shade smashed his elbow into Deaother's face, dazing him, then jabbed his knife into Deaother's shoulder, who cried out in pain as a result.

"Deaother!" Nasuada shouted.

Yelling, Deaother threw him back, and yanked the knife out of his flesh. Placing his hand over the wound he quickly healed himself as Zar'rac slowly took to his feet, tending to his broken wrist. "Deaother, kill him already!" Someone shouted. Deaother and Zar'rac both turned to see that it was Arya.

Deaother then turned to Zar'rac, who was smiling. "You said we have lost . . . then what about that dragon over there?" He pointed.

Deaother turned then, and to his horror, saw the huge Lethrblaka falling towards the ground, with Saphira caught in its tail. _No, it can't be!_ Deaother thought, and watched with growing terror and intensity as the two neared their inevitable deaths.

Saphira desperately tried to cut the tail with her claws, but was still unable to break free. They were just more than a hundred feet from the ground, she had very little time to free herself. She looked down then, and breathed fire at the other part of the tail. It worked, but the tail didn't loosen. Saphira growled and kept sending torrents of fire at it. The Lethrblaka was screaming, she knew it, she didn't care. A trail of smoke followed them as the Lethrblaka's tail began to turn to ashes.

She kept the pillar of fire going, burning the tail as fast as she could. Her idea was to burn it to such an extent that the Lethrblaka would not be able to control it anymore. They were now less than a hundred feet, and the top of the pine trees were coming ever closer. Saphira grew impatient then, and bit at the tail, tearing away a huge mass of the burnt hide and flesh. The shrieking didn't bother her anymore.

And then, it happened, just as the Lethrblaka crashed onto the pines, the tail let go off Saphira, who unfurled her wings with a roar of relief and triumph. It didn't last long. Momentum and gravity carried her downwards faster than she had expected, and her wings couldn't stop her in time. She smashed into the pine trees as well, her head hit tree trunks several time, needles scratched at her body and she landed on the ground with a loud Thud just like the Lethrblaka before her.

She growled in pain then, and tried to get up. Her body felt like it a huge icicle was poking at all the muscles and scales from within the body. She gave a final roar and stopped moving, resting her head on the ground and closing her eyes, then all was silent.

 _I defeated the monster . . . I did it . . . little one would be proud of me now_. Saphira thought to herself and closed her eyes.

"Saphira!" Deaother yelled, and turned back to Zar'rac. At the same time, the remainder of the Shade's army entered the Tialdari hall, and the Ra'zac clicked loudly in surprise as they encountered the Riders, who turned to face them with swords drawn, the Gedwëy Ignasia glowing on the palm of every Rider.

"You must choose, Eragonsson . . . to help the dragon, or to kill us?" Zar'rac told him, and sneered.

"I will do both, but I shall kill you first!" Deaother shouted. He had spotted his sword lying on the ground to the right.

"As you wish . . ." Zar'rac replied, then sprinted forward, drawing two knives from his belt. He sped toward Deaother, who ducked under his first slash, and dived for his sword. He slid on the floor, his arm outstretched. Zar'rac cursed and jumped at him, knife descending at a fast pace. Deaother finger curled around the familiar hilt, and he swung the sword around, parrying Zar'rac knife. Zar'rac landed on one knee, then moved to the side as Deaother jumped to his feet.

The Shade was crouched now, a knife in both hands. He charged, and smashed his knife onto Deaother's sword, pushing it aside as Deaother tried to maim him. Then, before Deaother could stop him, Zar'rac thrust his other knife into Deaother thigh, making him yell in pain. But as Zar'rac let go off the knife, rage grew within Deaother, and he grabbed Zar'rac's arm, just above the elbow, and pulled his sword back and swung it down.

Zar'rac screamed in terror as Deaother cut off his left hand, and pushed him back. Before the Shade could attack again, Deaother grabbed the knife and pulled it out of his thigh, then threw it to the ground and readied himself again as Zar'rac charged, slashing with his right hand. Deaother parried each blow, keeping the Shade at a distance by using the complete length of his sword.

The Shade growled and kept hacking at Deaother, until he grabbed the sword with both his hands and swung it around like a mace, with all his strength. The sword struck Zar'rac's knife, knocking it out of his hands. Before the Shade could draw another, Deaother stabbed at his heart . . .

Zar'rac looked down at the sword descending towards his chest . . .

Deaother bellowed in exasperation as Zar'rac moved, and his sword missed the Shade's heart. Instead of stabbing his heart, Deaother sword went through the portion of his chest to the far right, not stabbing his heart at all. Zar'rac's eyes widened as the sword appeared on the other side, but Deaother kicked the Shade's stomach, and his body slid free of his sword, and he fell several feet away.

Deaother glared at the Shade then, and began to stride towards him, intending to finish him off, when something completely unexpected happened. The place where Deaother had stabbed him began to glow with bright white light. Deaother stared at it for a moment, and stopped, unsure as to what to do. The light grew brighter, and gradually a sphere, that was emanating the light, emerged from his wound. As soon as it did, it began to move away from Zar'rac, but he grabbed it with lightning speed in his right hand, dropping the knife. "Oh no, you are not leaving us!" He said.

The orb, which was indeed a spirit, glowed a bright red and Zar'rac turned to the stump on his left arm. Deaother watched, disgusted, as flesh began to grow back on his arm, and within moments, the Shade had his left hand back. "Now . . . Let us be done with this nuisance!" He said, and turned to Deaother, who began to retreat. "Oh no, you don't!" And he jumped at Deaother, his right hand curled in a fist with the spirit held in it. Suddenly, why Eragon the First had a hole in his chest wasn't a mystery to Deaother.

Deaother made to jump, but Zar'rac was already onto him. He couldn't move fast enough, to dodge or to block or to defend. There was nothing he could do.

"Thrysta!" A familiar voice shouted, and Zar'rac flew to the side, falling to the ground. He let go off the spirit, which glowed a bright white and flew off into the distance.

Deaother turned to see Vaelia standing to the side. "Get him!" She shouted.

Deaother nodded, and ran forward, just as Zar'rac was getting to his feet. Zar'rac looked up, and his eyes widened in horror. "NO! You cannot kill us!"

Deaother cried, "Its over . . ."

And plunged his sword into the Shade's heart. He let go then, backing away from the sword as veins white in color spread across Zar'rac's body. Light stemmed from those veins as if they were cracks opening up to let out something far greater and powerful than the Shade, which in fact, they were.

Then, in a whirl of bright dust, Zar'rac's body dissolved, and the spirits from within took to the air as the dust settled to the ground. Deaother stared at what remained of Zar'rac, then jumped as Vaelia grabbed him by the arm. Deaother had dimly been aware of his bleeding leg, and the fact that he was limping. "You did it! You killed him!" She said, and hugged him tightly.

Deaother just smiled and kissed her cheek. "Can you heal me? There is one last thing that I need to take care of." Deaother said, and Vaelia nodded.

"What's that?" Vaelia asked him.

"I need to find Saphira, and get someone to heal her . . .I don't have the strength for it anymore." Deaother told her.

After several hours, Deaother and Vaelia followed the Riders, who were exiting the Tialdari Hall. The battle wasn't over yet, but Zar'rac's army had fallen into disarray after they had realized that both he and Enaevia were dead. Now, it was a simple matter to kill them as they tried to escape in small groups. Where they would escape to, Deaother had no idea. The humans had a chance of surviving, but the Ra'zac , they had nowhere to go. They were hated in Alagaesia, seen as servants of the late and loathed king Galbatorix. They would be hard pressed to find a safe place to stay in Alagaesia.

It took several more hours, during which time Deaother managed to send three Riders, along with Everaun, to find and help Saphira. But, by the time night came in, the fight was over, and Deaother sat next to Arya, who was beginning to return to normal as the effects of the drug reduced. "It seems to be a specialty of Shades, these drugs . . . I don't know where they get them."

Deaother was pleased to find that very few dragons had been killed in the battle, while many were injured to great extent, the damage wasn't irreparable. Saphira was hurt beyond all of them, and the healers were still tending to her. "So what happened while I was . . . away?"

Deaother stared at her for a moment, then began to tell her how they had left Osilon, journeyed to Carvahall, fought Crugan's forces. When he told her of the death of Thorn and Murtagh, she was pained immensely, and he had to wait a moment for her to calm herself as tears began forming in her eyes. Then he told her about what had happened when his father and Eragpn1 had fought Crugan, and how Crugan and Eragon had disappeared. "We don't know where he is, or is he injured . . . nothing, and we can't scry him either. But Saphira is sure that he is alive." Deaother finished. He noticed Vaelia sitting on his other side, she had joined them when he had been halfway through his narration.

"About what that Ra'zac said in the Hall." Arya said, and Deaother stiffened. "I hope you aren't thinking of going there and fighting that Shade."

"What are you saying?" Vaelia asked her. Deaother didn't reply but Arya told her what had happened inside the Tialdari Hall when Deaother and Everaun had revealed themselves.

"He . . . challenged you?" Vaelia asked him. Deaother nodded. He was stuck between his mate and his mother, and he had taken a decision which was going turn them both against him. "What did you say?" Vaelia asked him.

"I didn't get a chance to say anything, he stopped controlling the Ra'zac after he finished insulting Eragon the First." Deaother told them, trying to delay the question which would undoubtedly come.

"You aren't going, are you?" Vaelia asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder and holding it tightly, as if daring him to disagree. Deaother stood up then, forcing her to let go, and stood facing them both.

"I . . . err . . . I actually-" Deaother didn't get a chance to finish.

"You are thinking of going . . . I should have seen this coming, you are just like your father." Arya said.

"It's not a bad thing, I assure you." Deaother replied.

"And what if you are not strong enough? What if you can't defeat him?" Vaelia asked him.

"I'd . . . rather not think about that." Deaother replied honestly.

"Deaother, let someone else go." Arya said. "Someone like-"

"No!" Deaother exclaimed. "I promised Eragon the First that I would kill Crugan, and I intend to keep my promise."

Vaelia stared at him, as did Arya. "You are not going." Arya said flatly.

"I would like see you stop me, mother, Zar'rac couldn't stop me from saving you, the Lethrblaka couldn't stop me from saving Valinor, the undead couldn't stop me from killing Phriones, what is to stop me from killing Crugan?" Deaother said.

"Your arrogance will stop you from surviving." Arya told him.

"I am not arrogant, it's just the truth that I told you." Deaother replied, and gave a sigh of exasperation.

Vaelia stood up then, and walked up to him. Deaother watched her, gazed into her eyes as she took his arm in her own and held it tightly, "Are you sure you can do this?" She asked him.

"Yes . . . yes I am sure." Deaother replied, placing a hand on her cheek.

"Promise me you'll come back, alive . . ." Vaelia said.

"I will." Deaother replied, then pulled her face close to his.

Arya cleared her throat loudly, and they both jumped away from each other. "So, you are not going to listen to reason?"

Deaother smiled, "You think I will?"

Arya shook her head then. "Help me Vaelia, I better go and lie down . . ." Arya said, getting to her feet slowly. "You better come back alive, Deaother Shadeslayer." Arya turned and gave him a hard stare. She was angry at him, at the fact that he was determined to do what he was going to do.

He didn't care much.


	106. Chapter 105

**Chapter 105: Challenge Accepted**

 _Thank you, Saphira._ Deaother said as he jumped down from the back of the blue dragoness.

 _Be careful, young one, my Rider won't be able to overcome his emotions if he lost you._ Saphira said. _Neither will Arya be able to overcome her grief, and don't forget about your mate._

 _I will be careful . . ._ Deaother said, and nodded at her.

 _Go then, and may you be victorious, Deaother Shadeslayer._ Saphira said, pressing her snout to his forehead. Deaother felt a surge of energy enter his body, and he smiled and rubbed Saphira's face in thanks, then turned and trotted towards the magically hidden door, which he knew was there, thanks to Eragon the First's memories. Deaother walked right through the barrier, and he was aware that he must have triggered some sort of an alarm. Crugan obviously knew he was here.

He was wearing glistening plated armor, silver in color to match the color of his sword. He reached for the wooden door that barred his way in, then smiled and took off his gauntlets. He turned his fists to stone, charged and punched the door with all his strength. It shattered under the force, and behind Deaother, the illusion also vanished. Deaother turned, saluted Saphira who blinked in reply, then entered the tunnel.

He put his gauntlets back on as he walked, then started jogging again. Several minutes later, he arrived at a couple of wooden gates, which were wide open as if welcoming him. Deaother walked in then, sighing as he saw the huge hall, several gates and doors on the sides, which probably led to other, smaller halls. As he did, he prepared to use his powers. If Crugan decided to take him by surprise, he would have to be ready to defend himself.

But no such thing happened, and there was no sound except Deaother's footsteps until he reached the center of the hall. Then, there was the soft sound of wind whistling, and he turned around to see Crugan at the exit, his face completely expressionless. Deaother didn't move then but gazed at the Shade as he walked forward. Shivers ran down Deaother's spine, and a touch of excitement tugged at his mind, threatening to engulf his and make him run at Crugan , yelling like a Kull and brandishing his sword.

The Shade was wearing dark robes, but Deaother was sure that there was leather armor within the robes. "I accepted your challenge, Shade." Deaother said when Crugan stopped walking and stood straight, their eyes locked.

"Very well, Eragonsson . . . we commend your bravery. We doubted whether you would come, initially, believing that you would behave like any other elf and arrive with an army. You have proven your honor as well in this regard." Crugan said, a smile coming to his face.

"Perhaps." Deaother replied, beginning to feel restless. He wanted to attack this Shade, wanted to rip him into pieces with his sword, and burn what remained with his powers. "Where is my father?" Deaother asked him bluntly, and stared as Crugan got a smirk on his face.

"The Lead Rider was teleported with us, yes, but he . . . ended up in a different place than I. He is somewhere in the great forest outside, trying to find his way to an elven city, I presume."

"I shall find him . . . once I am done with you." Deaother said, his face determined and voice strong.

"But do you truly believe that you will be able to defeat us, when Eragon the First, your father, and many more have failed before you." Crugan asked him.

"I defeated your servant Freohr, I killed Zar'rac . . . why shouldn't I be able to defeat you . . .all?" Deaother asked him back, his scalp beginning to itch. Sweat began to roll down the back of his neck. He was twitching to go ahead and attack, but he stopped himself. Throwing himself at the Shade would be a foolish move.

"Why shouldn't you be able to, indeed . . . Zar'rac's death does not surprise me. They didn't heed our advice, thus it was inevitable. Freohr . . . was a disappointment. But in the end, the circle returns to where it began spinning . . . we ravaged Alagaesian last time and left with no companions . . . We shall do so again." Crugan replied.

"I really doubt it." Deaother said, his hand moving towards his sword.

"Tell me, Deaother. . . would you like to know how we shall treat your mate after we kill you?" Crugan asked him, a sneer coming to his face. "She shall curse your name, Eragonsson, we shall make her curse your name, we shall make her hate you."

"You know what I'd like?" Deaother asked him drawing his sword. "I'd like to stop this worthless conversation, and finish what I came here to do!" He finished by letting fire and lightning coat either of his arms.

Crugan sighed and drew his own sword. "Young people are always difficult to talk to . . . even for one such as us." He looked up at Deaother, then charged.

Deaother held his ground, watching as the Shade charged, and blocked the blow. It was strong, much stronger than what he had expected, and he staggered back then, stunned for a moment. But he returned to his sense and sent a blast of fire at the Shade, who dodged and slashed at him again. Deaother dodged the blow and swung a lightning coated sword at him. He knocked Deaother's sword aside, saying, "You fight like a cornered rat!"

Deaother jumped back as Crugan's sword came for his chest. Before Crugan could pull his weapon back, Deaother punched his chest with his fire covered arm. Crugan fell back slightly, and brushed the fire off his chest. "Nice trick, youngling!" He smashed his sword onto Deaother's and growled as he pressed Deaother back.

Deaother gasped as he fell to one knee, Crugan was extremely strong. It was all Deaother could do told hold the Shade's sword with his own. He needed more strength, he needed more power. Deaother let the fire and lightning disappear from his arms, and heaved upwards, but there was no change in their position. Deaother remained on one knee, holding his sword up with both his hands while Crugan pushed him down with his own blade.

Then, willing to try almost anything, Deaother let his arms turn to stone. Immediately, most of the stress from Crugan's sword vanished, and Deaother heaved upwards. He kept at it, and managed to push Crugan's sword up. He stared at Shade in the eye, and grimaced slightly. He couldn't keep this up much longer. Yelling, he swung his sword around, knocking Crugan's weapon away from him.

Deaother then jumped forward and stabbed at Crugan's heart, but it was too soon to even make a dent in his armor. The Shade just knocked his sword aside and kicked Deaother in the stomach. He pulled his sword up then, and plunged it towards Deaother's neck, but Deaother dived sideways, landing on the ground. He sprang to his feet and parried a blow from Crugan, managed to smash his stone fist onto the Shade's shoulder, took a nasty cut in his side, and finally fell back with a yell of pain as Crugan ran his sword though Deaother's thigh.

Rage building from the pain, Deaother sent a huge torrent of fire, along with chains of lightning, at the Shade, who just smirked and raised his palm. Greenish light burst forth from his hand and smashed headlong into Deaother's attacks, rendering them useless in moments, during which Deaother hurriedly healed himself. He hefted his sword then, as the smoke began to clear, and charged through the vapors.

Crugan wasn't ready for him, and Deaother smashed into him shoulder first and knocked him to the ground, then scowled as he plunged his sword into Crugan's thigh, "Vengeance is always sweet!" Deaother shouted as Crugan twisted in pain, then grabbed his sword and swung it at Deaother, who dodged it by moving aside.

Crugan raised his other hand, and greenish writhing flames flew at Deaother, who stopped them a heartbeat before they hit him with fire of his own. They fell to the ground, smothering the stone floor. Deaother jumped back as Crugan slashed at him again, cursing foully. His leg healed the moment Deaother had jumped away, and now he charged, sword jabbing forward.

Deaother parried the blow and swerved to the right, blocked another blow with the hilt of his sword, jumped up and smashed his fist onto Crugan's head. The Shade stumbled to the side, his sneer vanishing. Deaother then thrust at his chest, but the Shade dodged to the right and bashed Deaother in the face, dazing him and making him fall back. He took to his feet again and started hacking at the Shade once more, his swings elegant.

Crugan blocked each and every blow that Deaother threw at him. Deaother feinted at his heart, and instead struck his waist. Crugan's face seemed as if it was being churned as a look of deep irritation passed across it. Crugan swung at him again, but Deaother dodged and jumped back. He had noticed a weakness. If he could annoy the Shade enough, he would begin to attack him recklessly, wishing nothing more than to just finish things up, and Deaother would be able to use the situation to his advantage.

He moved sideways, parrying the Shade's sword and sending a jab back, but kept on his fake retreat. Crugan sprinted after him, striking at his head. Deaother ducked sent a shot of lightning at him. It didn't harm him, at least not in any way that Deaother could think of, but it did seem to tempt his temper. He was striking a nerve, and he was enjoying it.

"Come on, is that he best you have to offer?" Deaother taunted, and the Shade glared in response. He passed to left as Crugan hacked at him, then sailed to the right as his sword gave chase. He could see the brows on the Shade's face beginning to come together into a scowl. Deaother then jabbed at his right shoulder, but Crugan grabbed his sword in his bare left hand, just before the tip hit him, and pulled. Deaother didn't let go, and instead swung his sword to the right. Crugan swore as he took a deep cut on his hand, although there was no bleeding there.

Deaother then smashed the pommel of his sword right into his face, catching the Shade off guard. He stumbled back, but Deaother moved further and kicked his shins, sweeping them out from under him and making him fall to the ground. Crugan's brow was nit together in a furious scowl, which was deepening into a frown.

"Old people tent to lie around a lot, don't they?" Deaother asked, and dived back as Crugan let out a bellow of rage and jumped to his feet. He sprinted after Deaother and brought down his sword with all his force. Deaother nimbly jumped aside at the last moment, and the sword struck the stone floor with a loud clatter. He turned then and glared at Deaother, who just grinned at him.

"I shall enjoy tearing the flesh from your limbs . . ." Crugan said and walked towards him, sword ready.

Deaother also began to walk towards him, then began to jog and finally broke out into an all-out sprint. Crugan also sprinted forward and swung at him, but Deaother caught the blow on the hilt of his sword, just as he had intended to. He tugged it upwards as he sailed past the Shade, then hurriedly pulled it down by turning the tip towards the ground, Crugan's blade stuck in the hilt.

The Shade turned around in surprise as his sword flew free from his hand and skid across the ground, to the right. Deaother turned to Crugan then. "A cornered rat? You fight like a dying crow, you old bag of uneaten hay!"

"Curse you, elf!" Crugan yelled, and sprinted forward. Deaother raised his sword, ready, and swung it with both hands in a huge arc. Crugan slid to the ground, slipped below the blade, and as he neared Deaother he punched him in the stomach, making Deaother gasp. His armor took most of the blow, but it still hurt. His armor was now dented. Crugan then grabbed his sword arm and twisted, and Deaother yelled in pain as the sword fell to the ground.

He turned around kicked Crugan in the face, wrenched his arm free. He reached to his back and pulled out a dagger that Arya had given him. Crugan didn't take any weapon, instead he raised his palm and sent out another huge fireball. Deaother jumped to the side then, and rolled away hurriedly as the fire struck the ground. Crugan took advantage of the situation and chased after him, but Deaother sent a wave of water after him, trolling with the lightning which accompanied it.

Crugan leapt over the water, but Deaother was prepared for it. He gave him powerful blast of wind, which made him fall back flat on his back, right in front of the water he had shot earlier. It drenched him completely, and he screamed in pain as lightning ran in the bloodless veins of his body. Deaother had heard him do so for the first time, and a feeling of triumph entered his mind. But it was short-lived because Crugan threw a fireball, composed of the green flames of Necromancy, and it came at such a great speed that Deaother couldn't return fire or protect himself properly.

Not knowing what to do, Deaother swung his dagger, hoping to knock it out of its trajectory. But instead of falling to the side, the fire engulfed the dagger, and his wrist, and made him wince in as the metal grew hot at an alarming rate. Deaother cried out, dropped the dagger, and hurriedly extinguished the flames with huge amounts of water. He then took off his gauntlets and looked up to see that Crugan had disappeared.

He turned around hurriedly, but was still too late. Crugan jumped at him with a knife, and stabbed it into his shoulder. Deaother roared in rage and pain, but Crugan punched him, knocking him to the ground. Deaother grabbed the knife on his shoulder, bellowed as he pulled it out, and jumped at Crugan. He attacked with a backhanded slash, but Crugan grabbed his wrist before he even came in contact with the Shade. "You'll be surprised to know that I am the one who started that fighting technique!" He punched Deaother again, and twisted his arm. Deaother grunted, and fell to his knees as his injured shoulder sent a huge jolt of agony to his brain. He shrieked then and dropped the knife, hurriedly knocking Crugan back with his free arm.

Deaother made to get up, but Crugan kicked his face, knocking him back down. "Enough games! It's over, worthless filth!" Crugan shouted, and grabbed his throat, then picked him up, his fingers tight. "Look at us! I want the last sight of your life to be the terror of our face."

Deaother gasped as Crugan's grip tightened, and he choked slightly. "Its . . . just . . . beginning . . ." Deaother muttered. Crugan raised an eyebrow but Deaother held what little breath he had left, then with all his strength kicked the Shade in the chest. Nothing happened.

Beginning to grow desperate, he turned his arms, legs and chest to stone, and grabbed Crugan's fist in his hand as it made to punch him. He crushed the Shade's fingers, whose face became extremely contorted. Deaother then punched the Shade with his free hand, knocking him back. He let go off Deaother, just as he let go off the Shade's hand. Deaother fell to the ground, then with haste, rolled to the side and jumped to his feet.

Crugan stood in front of him, and threw another fireball at him. Instead of retaliating with fire, Deaother just knocked it aside with his hand, and smiled. He was invincible. Crugan must have realized it too, as his face grew more furious by the second. Deaother charged then, but Crugan stood his ground.

Deaother punched at his face, but Crugan stopped his hand twisted it back, grabbed Deaother by the chest and slammed him to the ground. The stone floor cracked at the force of the his, and Deaother groaned as lights popped up in front his eyes, and his hearing just vanished. He grunted again, but Crugan held him down. Deaother yelled, something which he didn't hear, and heaved up, lifting Crugan's hands with astounding strength. He pushed the Shade back, and kicked his chest. Crugan flew back several feel and landed sprawling on the ground.

Deaother jumped up and grabbed the Shade by the hem of his robs, whirled him around and threw hit at the wall. The curved stone which formed the walls seemed to shudder at the impact as the Shade smashed into it, then fell to the ground, but Crugan began to get up almost immediately. Deaother didn't give him the chance. His metal armor clanging, he sprinted forward, smashed his knee onto Crugan's face, throwing him up a second time. He bashed the wall again, and fell back down. Deaother caught him with one hand, threw him wildly across the hall. Crugan skid across the floor when he hit it, many yards away.

The Shade stood up then, as Deaother sprinted after him, and had a sword in his hand. Deaother cursed and stopped, searching for his own weapon. Neither his sword nor his dagger was close enough for him to get to before Crugan reached him. He turned back to face the Shade, who was charging, but slowly this time. Deaother waited for a moment, then overcome a sudden urge to just end the battle, he sprinted forward, his face also turning to stone.

He ran as fast as he possibly could, and punched at Crugan as he reached the Shade. But Crugan just smirked, knocked Deaother's hand aside with his sword, grabbed him by the cords between his collar bones. Unnatural fire coated his arm, and he grinned as Deaother tried to punch at him. The fire began to coat Deaother's armor by the time his punch landed. Crugan spat to the side as his face turned with the force. But, in the next heartbeat, Deaother felt weightlessness overcome him as he flew away from the Shade, the fire till spreading across his body. He gasped, and pain such as he had never felt before arched across his body as he crashed into the wall. The wall quaked for an instant, cracks spreading in every direction, and it caved in in the shape of Deaother's bent back, jamming him to the wall. Gravity wasn't going to pull him down now.

Crugan charged forward, an evil sneer of victory on his face. Fire spread across Deaother armor, and would soon reach his body which began to return to normal. If he didn't do something, he would die from the flames or with Crugan's blade sticking out of his chest. He didn't wish for either of the fates, but his thoughts were all jumbled just like his emotions. Top among then was panic, as his felt burns from the hot armor, and sweat exuded from almost every part of his body.

The Shade dashed forward and his shoulder collided with Deaother already hurting and burning chest, making his moan. But the force of his slam had a greater impact on the wall, widening the gap that Deaother had created. He slid off then, and fell to the ground on his hands and knees, panting. The flames licked at his body threateningly, and he summoned as much of his willpower as he could. Strong winds blew from the ends of the room, and within heartbeats, the fire was out.

Deaother looked up then, and saw Crugan gazing at him. "And you were going to defeat us . . .Us! The Birth of Death!" Crugan yelled, and raised his sword. "Your death shall be in vain, Deaother, for I shall return and tear apart what remains of this insignificant piece of land that you call home."

Deaother stared at him. _I am sorry mother, Vaelia . . . I tried._ Despair welled up within him, as did resentment toward himself for being so over confident and arrogant. Now, his mother would lose her only son, Vaelia would lose her mate, and Alagaesia would perhaps lose its last chance to defeat Crugan.

 _No! I can't let this happen! No . . . No way!_ Deaother thought and tried to get to his feet.

He couldn't, his legs were too weak. There was no energy left in his limbs. Crugan just grinned, and punched him, making fall back to the ground. "Pathetic, that's what you elves are . . . you come to our home, our refuge, and threaten to kill us . . . you deserve death!"

All thoughts vanished from Deaother's mind then as Crugan hefted his blade, and stabbed it down, the sword nearing his chest much slower than what Deaother had hoped. If he was going to die, he would want a painless, swift death.


	107. Chapter 106

**Chapter 106: Brisingr!**

"How is this possible?" Crugan yelled in rage and frustration.

Deaother let out a gasp of disbelief as well, and stared at the tip of his sword which had stopped an inch away from his chest. Crugan scoffed, then pulled his sword up and brought it down with more force. Again, it stopped an inch from his chest, and whatever the Shade tried, he could not get it any closer. "What madness is this?"

Deaother was utterly confused as well. He had not placed any wards around him, otherwise he would not have taken all the injuries that he already had. Yet, here it was, and it had saved his life. He didn't know how, but it had appeared just when he had needed it to, and thanks to it he was still breathing.

Then, slowly at first, he began to hear footsteps. Crugan didn't seem to notice, he was busy hacking at Deaother, who just lay there, feeling relief rush through his veins when each blow was blocked or deflected by the ward.

The footsteps gradually grew louder, and Deaother was faintly aware of the fact that someone was standing several feet to the right, the person's palm raised. A Gedwëy Ignasia glowed on his palm. His clothes were tattered, and he looked like he had just climbed out of the wild, which he undoubtedly had.

When Crugan once again swung the sword down at Deaother did the person speak up, as the blow was deflected. "Get . . . away . . ." Crugan and Deaother both froze, and the Shade slowly turned to face this new threat. ". . . from . . ." Crugan gaped then, and cursed at the person standing before him. " . . . my Son!"

Eragon Kingslayer stood in front of Crugan, his arm outstretched which had provided the ward that had saved Deaother. A huge wave of relief and joy spread through Deaother's mind and body as he saw his father standing there, hurt and dirty but pretty much alive. The Shade's face was devoid of emotion. Deaother had no doubt that the Shade was planning how to take Eragon down. He then hurriedly began to search for his sword or dagger, and saw the shorter blade lying nearby. While in front of him, Crugan charged towards Eragon.

The Shade slashed, Eragon ducked and slashed apart the Shade's thigh. Crugan groaned and backed away, but Eragon hacked at him, not giving him a chance to heal himself. Crugan blocked the blow, but Eragon pushed to the left, freeing Brisingr. Crugan jabbed at him, Eragon knocked his sword aside, swung at his neck, Crugan backed out of the blue sword's reach. Eragon jumped forward, Brisingr pulled back, and his sword sailed forward in a wide arc. Crugan tried to deflect the blow, but it was too powerful and it dragged his sword along. Brisingr scratched the Shade's face, revealing the inner, bloodless flesh.

Deaother grunted out in pain as he rolled on to his chest, the sound of swords clanging in the background. He slowly crawled ahead, arm by arm, his breath coming in short gasps as pain raced across his body. But it was ebbing away gradually, as his thoughts melded into one sentient emotion: Determination. He was determined to help his father. He was determined to defeat Crugan. And that made him almost impervious to the pain that seemed to no longer be shooting throughout his body.

It took him several moments, but he finally reached the dagger. He grabbed it hurriedly and pulled it close, then turned around to look at how Eragon was faring. His father looked . . . horrible, to say the least. His hair was long and messed, he had a beard and his clothes were full of dirt and soil, and torn in several places. It didn't help that he was getting new cuts even as Deaother stared at him.

He had to tell his father to hold Crugan somehow, so that Deaother could take him from behind and kill him before the Shade even knew what was happening. So Deaother tried to get to his feet. He managed it, but swayed dangerously. He waited for a moment, and when his head cleared, he began to limp towards his father. He was exhausted, he needed energy. But he couldn't get it from any nearby source that he knew of.

Eragon must have noticed him. He pushed Crugan back and made a quick gesture at his own index finger, but was forced to pull it back as he hurriedly blocked a blow from the Shade. Deaother stared at him, then turned to his own index finger. Aren glinted on his hand, and Deaother couldn't understand what Eragon was saying, for a moment, but a stark realization hit him, and he reached out towards the ring.

Deaother gasped, the amount of energy in the ring was astounding. He hurriedly took a huge amount of it, and felt his strength return to him. He could move properly now, he wasn't exhausted anymore. This is going to be extremely useful. Deaother thought, and crouched then, holding the dagger gingerly. It was time to do what he knew he had to. Kill Crugan.

He crept forward then, dagger ready, and when Eragon managed to throw Crugan back a second him, this time several yards back. The Shade began to get up hurriedly, but Deaother caught Eragon's attention in the brief respite. As soon as he did Deaother made a gesture at Brisingr, then clamped his hands together, and motioned at Crugan's sword. Eragon seemed to understand, and he charged at Crugan, hammering Brisingr against the Shade's sword again and again, like a madman.

Crugan blocked each and every blow, and when Eragon finally swung his sword in apparent frustration, Crugan tried to knock it down. But Eragon turned it up at the last moment, the blade of his sword sliding just behind Crugan's, and when Brisingr's hilt struck the sword, Eragon pushed both the blades up with all his might, and both his and Crugan's swords were locked up above their heads, both their arms raised as Crugan tried to free his sword, and Eragon tried to stop him from doing so.

This was the moment Deaother had been waiting for, and he charged. As he watched, strained looks appeared on both Crugan's and his father's faces as they struggled against each other. Deaother sprinted forward, and Crugan must have noticed him, because he muttered an oath and began to pull his sword even harder.

Deaother was onto Crugan then, and he grabbed the Shade by his shoulder, dagger held steady in the other hand. "This ends here!" Deaother said, and groped the blade into Crugan's back. It seeped through his leather armor, pierced his flesh, went through his heart and protruded on the other side.

Crugan gulped, and all was quiet for a moment. Then, the Shade bellowed in rage and pain. "Stab him! We need to stab him twice, stab-" Deaother was shouting at Eragon, but he was stopped by Crugan's elbow smashing into his chest with extreme force. At the same time, Eragon groaned in pain as Crugan kicked him, and the Shade's sword fell to the ground.

Deaother flew back, and landed hard on the stone floor. He moaned in pain, but stood up hurriedly. On the other side, Eragon smashed right into the wall, extremely hard as he and Crugan had been fighting close to it. There he fell to the ground, and didn't move anymore. Brisingr lay next to him. Deaother then turned to see Crugan, who was staring at him with a look of horrendous wrath combined with the agony of the dagger sticking through his heart. Even as Deaother watched, Crugan's face became increasingly convoluted and white veins appeared in the region where the dagger protruded, visible through the Shade's leather armor.

Crugan wasn't moving, for some unknown reason, but he had a sword in his hand now. Deaother didn't. He searched around for his own weapon, but it was far away. Brisingr was much closer to him, so he sprinted, circumventing Crugan by a wide arc. The Shade turned as he ran, and let out a roar of complete hatred at Deaother.

Deaother ran, and looked back to see Crugan still standing there, looking the other way. The veins had stopped spreading. Deaother didn't know what was happening, but Crugan was not dead yet. Even though Deaother had pushed the Shade past his limit of sanity, and forced him to enter the realm of insane. Deaother reached Eragon and nudged him. His father was unconscious. Deaother then grabbed Brisingr and took to his feet, holding the sword ready. It wasn't exactly right for him, but the blade balanced alright even though the hilt was a little longer.

Crugan was glaring at him, and Deaother approached slowly. As he did, the Shade seemed to return to his senses, because he roared again and hefted his sword ready as Deaother drew closer. "Fight to the death, weak elf, fight to the death!"

Deaother stared at him then, then back at his father. His emotions were rising at an alarming rate. He was angry. No, he was enraged. He wanted to kill this Shade, for all the people who had died because of his foolish crusade. He wanted to end this monster's life, for the death of King Dathedr, for his mother's capture, for killing his uncle and Thorn both of whom he loved a lot, to avenge Eragon the First and Bid'daum along with Anurin and Garjzla. He wanted the Shade to burn for all that he had taken away from Deaother, and from Alagaesia. He wanted the Shade to burn . . .

"A fight to the death it is . . .and it is going to be your death, filth under my boot! I have just one thing to say on this occasion." Deaother said and tightened his grip around his father's sword. "Brisingr!"

Crugan had a look of shock on his face, and he stumbled back as the blue blade leapt up in enormous flames, the sound of wind hustling around the fire as it grew extremely bright and intense. Deaother stared at it, he knew it would happen, then then turned to face the Shade. "Burn Shade! Burn!" Deaother charged.

He swung Brisingr at Crugan, who tried to block the blow. The Shade gasped as his sword was cut into two, the edge of both parts melting. The Shade ducked under the next swing, but Deaother brought Brisingr down with more speed. Crugan tried to block it with what remained of his sword, but instead, Deaother turned in to the side at the last moment.

Crugan cried out in pain as Deaother severed off his arm. Deaother didn't lose the opportunity, then, and as Eragon looked up, brought back to the Earth by the sound of Crugan's cry, Deaother pulled Brisingr back and looked the Shade in the eye for one last time. "Burn for all that you have done to Alagaesia."

He stabbed the Shade in the heart . . . for the second time.

Brisingr passed in through it, right next to Deaother's dagger. Crugan stared down at it for an instant, then screamed in pain, tearing at his own lungs. Deaother cringed at the sound, it was horrible. Much, much worse than the shrieks of the Lethrblaka.

Crugan screamed again, as Deaother pulled Brisingr out. His leather armor, and robes, were on fire, and as it burnt away, Deaother could see the veins spreading across his body. Deaother retreated then, and watched in awe as the veins covered his entire body, the burning armor falling to the ground in ashes. The fire didn't seem to affect Crugan's body. And then, just as abruptly, bright light emanated from the veins, and it grew in intensity till it was blinding to Deaother.

Crugan threw his arms back and screamed, more powerful and terrible than before, and then, his body burst as spirits emerged from his hole in his heart. Their numbers surprised Deaother, he had not expected so many, there must have been more than a two dozen of them.

The bright light ended when the spirits vanished, leaving Brisingr's fire as the only source of illumination in the now dark hall. Deaother watched as the other sources of light went out one after another as if following a routine. _It's over . . . Now, we can rest easy._

Deaother turned to Eragon then, who was getting back to his feet, and was staring at him with utmost pride. "A huge understatement, I know, but well done my son . . . You have done me proud!" Eragon smiled. Deaother smiled as well, putting out the fire that coated Brisingr, and hugged his father tightly. "It's done . . . now Alagaesia is safe, thanks to you." Eragon told him.

"That's all we wanted, isn't it? . . . How do you feel?" Deaother asked him.

"Tired, and my head is throbbing as if a hundred Kull were dancing on it . . . let's just get to Ellesmera." Eragon told him.

"Does Saphira know you are here?" Deaother asked as he handed Brisingr back. He wanted to talk to his father about how he had used Brisingr, but he kept it for another time.

"Oh yes, she does, and she was most unwilling to let me in at first. Then I told her you were honor bound to make a mistake-"

"Father!" Deaother exclaimed, but Eragon just laughed.

They both looked back to where Crugan had been. Now, not a trace remained. The Shade, and even the spirits after it, had not attacked Deaother with their minds, neither had Zar'rac's. As it turned out, Eragon was the only one who had been haunted by Durza's spirits even after the Shade's death.

"Let us be off." Deaother agreed then, and they both turned and hurried out of the gate.

"The elves will be glad to study this sanctuary of Crugan's . . . it was an Elven fortress once." Eragon told Deaother.

"And we'll be glad to tell them that." Deaother nodded.

It was going to take them a few hours to return to Ellesmera. Deaother closed his eyes and relaxed behind his father, who was talking to Saphira. Thorn's death was tormenting her, just aggravated by the fact that she was the one who had killed him. Deaother had tried to talk to her before, but no one could do it better than Eragon, which was not a surprise.

 _So you and Crugan teleported somewhere nearby?_ Deaother asked Eragon, referring to the time when Eragon and the Shade had vanished in a haze of smoke and speaking with his mind so that they didn't have to yell over the wind.

 _Yes, and I arrived first. I moved away as fast as I could; I had returned to my senses then, and I knew I wouldn't be able to defeat him myself. So I came here and waited for you or someone else to arrive . . . I knew you would._ Eragon told him.

 _How did you know that I would come here?_ Deaother said, curious.

 _I suppose I had faith in you . . ._ Eragon smiled, then there was silence for a while as the pine trees flitted past below them.

After a while, Eragon turned back to Deaother. _What about Vaelia? Is she going to remain queen?_

 _I don't know . . . she said she won't after Crugan is defeated, at least that's what the elves had planned for her . . ._ Deaother told Eragon.

 _Ad suppose she decides that it is better to remain Queen, and follow in her father's footsteps, what do you plan to do?_ Eragon asked him. To that, Deaother had no answer, and Eragon realized that immediately. _Look, son, you should have talked to me about this._

 _I know, but you were busy in Carvahall, so I thought . . . well, it is something that is troubling me, not you, I should be able to find a solution._ Deaother replied.

 _No such thing between family, Deaother, now listen . . . Do you love Vaelia?_ Eragon asked him directly.

 _I . . . do, of course._ Deaother replied, wondering where this was going.

 _And will you support her decision if she does remains Queen?_ Eragon continued.

 _I . . . Frankly, I don't know._ Deaother said.

 _Now that's a problem, isn't it?_ Eragon thought to him as they flew over the sea of pines. But good, you are not in the horrible position I thought you would be.

 _What horrible position?_ Deaother asked him, curious.

 _Well, along the terms 'I should have her, or no one should'._ Eragon answered.

 _No, I am not in that place. If she decides to remain Queen, then well . . . I won't remain her mate, it is torture to be a Queen's mate. She won't be able to spend time with me, and I will just become a target for her adversaries. The elves are also cunning, her opponents might use me to bring her down._ Deaother told him honestly.

 _Very good, son, so you do know how to keep things and people in their right places._ Eragon said.

Deaother didn't reply, but smiled, and he knew that Eragon was aware of it.

 _There is something else I want to tell you . . ._ Eragon told him. _But we need to get to Ellesmera first._

They flew on in silence then, for an hour, then Saphira began to descend. Deaother thought that they had reached Ellesmera, and he craned his head down. He was wrong, and it took him a moment to realize that he was looking at the Crags of Tel'naeir, and the house Eragon had inherited from Oromis. Deaother had not been there in years. They landed near the house, and Saphira carefully folded her wings, keeping her tail in check so that she wouldn't hit anything by accident.

Eragon and Deaother both jumped off Saphira, and Deaother couldn't contain himself any longer. He wanted to see his father's face when he showed what he was able to do. "Father, please give me Brisingr." Deaother said.

Eragon raised an eyebrow at him. "Just for a moment." Deaother added. Curious, Eragon drew Brisingr and handed it to him hilt first. Deaother grabbed it and held it gingerly in his hands. "I killed Crugan with your sword." Deaother said.

"I am aware of that." Eragon replied. "But what are you-?"

"Brisingr." Deaother muttered, and sapphire flames erupted around the sword, extremely bright and warm.

If Eragon was surprised, he didn't show much of it. He just kept staring at the sword with a pleasantly startled expression. "Now that's something I haven't seen before, except when I am doing it." Eragon said.

"And why is it that I can do this?" Deaother asked him, swinging Brisingr around. The flames trailed behind it.

"I suppose it's because of your command over elements." Eragon told him, and crossed his arms, a scowl on his face.

Deaother stared at him, then turned back to the sword. "Kveykva!" Deaother exclaimed. The fire around the sword crackled and lightning joined it. Deaother smiled, this was looking great.

"Very well, now give me my sword." Eragon laughed. Deaother stopped the elements coating the sword and handed it back to Eragon. "And come with me." Eragon said and walked towards the house. Deaother followed, looking around. Nothing seemed to have changed since he had last taken a look at it.

They went in, and found that the house was clean. Not a speck of dust on the furniture. Eragon smiled then, and turned to Deaother. "I want you to have this house, Deaother."

"What?" Deaother asked, surprised.

"You heard me, you are going to have this house." Eragon said.

"I am . . . happy you are giving it to me, but why?" Deaother asked him.

"Because I and Arya don't come here much, not any longer, and you are the one who lives in Ellesmera. So if you ever feel like leaving and coming here for some peace of mind, you have all the luxury to do so without any of the wards harming you." Eragon told him.

"I thought I always had the luxury, I am your son." Deaother said in an amused voice.

"Yes, you're my son. You know that, I know that, but the wards don't. Now, they do." Eragon smiled, grabbed him by the shoulder, and they both walked back to Saphira. "It is a good place to meditate, and is far enough from Ellesmera if you want to practice your powers."

Deaother nodded, and smiled at his father. "I might just begin to spend all my time here, then."

"I don't think Vaelia would like that, now would she?" Eragon asked him.


	108. Chapter 107

**Chapter 107: Celebrations**

Saphira roared mightily and every person in the city Ellesmera below her turned their gaze to the skies with surprised glances. She dived then, flying past the pine tree tops, and landed right in front of a huge crowd of elves, humans, dwarves, Urgal and dragons, who were all staring at her. Deaother and Eragon both got down, and slowly at first, but a huge cheer went up through the crowd. "Shadeslayers, Shadslayers!" They were all yelling, except the elves, who were staring at them in awe. This made Deaother feel weird, as if none of them had expected him to succeed.

Eragon and Deaother both smiled then, and Saphira gave another roar, which the other dragons replied to in kind, celebrating the return of the lead Rider and his son. Deaother looked around, and saw Vaelia hurrying through the crowd, along with Arya. He hurried forward then, and hugged her. Before he did, he noticed the crown on her head, which gave him a fleeting feeling of uncertainty. Behind him, Arya and Eragon also shared a hug, and they both turned to Deaother and Vaelia, who were smiling at each other.

"You are alive . . . and you found Eragon." Vaelia said, feeling his face, shoulders and arms, then holding his hands in her own. "You are incredible, Deaother." Vaelia smiled. Deaother nodded then, the crowd around them was still cheering, but he just couldn't take his eyes off the crown on Vaelia's forehead. He decided he would give her a little time, then ask her about it.

"I am glad to see you again, Vaelia . . . and of course, glad to be alive." Deaother smiled, and hugged her again.

Soon after, the four of them walked through the crowd, and he got thumped on his back hundreds of times, his back bruising whenever a Kull did it as well. After some moments, when he was fed up of it, he turned his back to stone. It immediately dulled all the pain. But the yells didn't stop, and they were congratulating Eragon and Deaother continuously.

After an hour of this, Deaother finally managed to get away from the crowd, which had kept pulling him back whenever he tried to go, especially since Eragon had yelled that Deaother had been the one who defeated Crugan, not him. Now, no one could get enough of him. He was the Slayer of the Shades, not Eragon.

Deaother hurried away from the people, and there were still some among the crowd who yelled and screamed out of joy. It was driving him mad, after all the adventures of just some hours ago. He and Vaelia hurried to Vaelia's room in the Tialdari Hall, which was being swiftly repaired by the elves. The dwarves were also providing their own expertise, enhancing the qualities of the previous structure. Deaother and Vaelia hurried into the luxurious room, which had been returned to its former glory, and Deaother immediately sat down on the bed, exhausted. He groped around, pulled at the cords which held his armor together, and muttered at oath when his arm ached with exhaustion.

"I'll do it, just relax . . ." Vaelia said, climbing on to the bed, sitting on her knees behind him, and began to pull the cords free. "I really am amazed at you, Deaother . . . you killed the greatest Shade that ever lived. . . Shadeslayer? It's a nice name." Vaelia told him, kissing his cheek.

Deaother smiled, and his eyes again returned to the crown which Vaelia and pulled off and kept on the table in front of them. Deaother stared at it, while Vaelia kept on talking, he hardly understood what she was saying neither did he pay attention. He was too exhausted and too tensed. Had Vaelia actually agreed to remain Queen permanently while he had been away? Had she forgotten about his feelings completely? These were a just a few of the several questions which were popping up in his mind.

Deaother gave a long sigh of relief when his chest and back plate came off. Vaelia placed them on the ground next to the bed, and rubbed Deaother's arms, then slowly hugged him from behind, her head on his shoulder. "Why are you so quiet?" She asked him.

"I am tired . . . and listening to you is soothing enough." Deaother said, placing his hand on her cheek. They kissed then, and Deaother couldn't take any more of the tension. He broke off from her, much to her surprise, and said, "Are you the Queen?"

Vaelia stared at him as if he had said something completely obvious, "Yes . . . yes, I am, you know that, don't you?"

"I do, but are you going to remain the Queen?" Deaother asked her, turning then so that he was face to face with her.

"Deaother, why are asking me this?" Vaelia began, but Deaother grabbed her hand slowly, and she fell silent.

"Just tell me, are you going to remain the Queen?" Deaother asked her.

"How does it matter right now? I am so happy that you are alive, and that our land is safe . . . why don't we just enjoy each other's company?" Vaelia asked him, placing both her hands on his face.

"Because I can't relax without knowing this . . . tell me, please, I must know." Deaother told her, and she let go off his face, and was silent for a long time.

"I . . . don't know . . . I really don't know." Vaelia replied then, and looked up at him. Her eyes betrayed her emotions. She had been waiting to tell him this as well.

"And I don't understand." Deaother said.

"If the Council Members can't find anyone to be the monarch, I will have to continue." Vaelia said.

Deaother let go then, and turned to the crown. "I . . . did you know this?" He asked her. She turned away, not meeting his eyes, and nodded. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you were . . . you were already angry at me when instead of attacking Ellesmera, we left for Carvahall." Vaelia told him. "I didn't want to add more to the fire that was already burning the tree."

"You should have told me when we saved my mother, before I went to fight Crugan." Deaother told her.

"I know I should have, but you were worried and tensed . . . If I would have told you this, you would have been disturbed and distracted and-"

"So you knew how I would react this way, and yet you agreed to this?" Deaother asked her, his words hurt Vaelia, he knew, but her actions had hurt him.

"I . . . I cannot change the laws of my people, Deaother . . ." Vaelia said.

Deaother shook his head. "And I cannot change the fact that when you are Queen . . ." He got up then, and stood facing her. She was on her knees, on the bed, but her arms were crossed. "When you are Queen, you hardly spend time with me. When you do, you mostly talk about how the council is troubling you, and many other things that I cannot understand . . . and I can't bear to listen to it because for all my powers, there is nothing that I can do to help you."

"That's-" Vaelia began but Deaother cut her off.

"Tell me, right now, that you do not want to be Queen, but you are forced to because of the laws of the elves.' Deaother said, his fingers curling to fists, then relaxing, then again curling to fists. "Say it!"

Vaelia stared at him for a while, her eyes glistening and a little watery, then she turned and looked down, unable to meet his eyes again. With a sense of dread and anger, Deaother realized that she wanted to be Queen, even though they couldn't be able to spend with each other if things were that way. "So . . . you do want to be the monarch . . . then nothing remains to be said, Vaelia . . . I cannot continue with this." Deaother told her, and sighed, leaning against the wall.

"Can you tell me, honestly, that if given the chance, you would give up being a monarch just because I didn't like it?" Vaelia asked him then, who was also angry now. Deaother gazed into her eyes, which were red. She was holding back tears as well, proving how strong she really was. The perfect person to be Queen, she never revealed her emotions easily.

"Yes, I would give up the crown, the throne and infinite luxury if it meant that I could be with you for all of eternity." Deaother told her, staring right into her eyes.

Vaelia was wide eyed, and completely astounded. She gawked at him a while, stammering and at a complete loss for words. Deaother just shook his head and began to walk towards the door. "Wait, Deaother, listen!" Vaelia said hurriedly, getting to her feet.

Deaother turned to her as she grabbed his hand. "I . . . I am sorry for this, I can still undo this!" Vaelia told him.

"And how is that going to possible?" Deaother asked her.

"I . . . I . . ." Vaelia trailed off. Deaother felt his thoughts of hope fading as her voice faded, and now, anger and resentment clouded his earlier thoughts of love and passion.

"May the stars watch over you, _Queen_ Vaelia." Deaother said, shrugged off her hand and walked away. Vaelia could only just stare, heartbroken, as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Eragon was lying on the bed in the tree house that he had used almost a century ago when Oromis had been training him. He smiled, Arya was in his arms. He could smell the crushed pine needles, which was extremely rejuvenating to him. He pulled his mate even closer, and she snuggled against his chest. He kissed her forehead, but otherwise kept staring at the ceiling.

"How is Saphira?" Arya asked him finally.

"She is . . . hurt and grieved." Eragon replied.

They were quiet for several more moments, when suddenly the door fell open. Eragon and Arya both jumped upright and stared at the person who had entered. It was Deaother, and he looked extremely angry. Arya and Eragon both turned to each other, and Arya raised her eyebrows.

"What happened?" Eragon asked him as Deaother sat down on a chair in front of them. "What did she say?"

"She wants to remain the Queen . . ." Deaother told them bluntly.

"What are you two saying?" Arya asked them, and Deaother and Eragon explained Deaother's predicament. "I told you, Deaother, you will have to support her decisions." Arya said when they were done, and both Eragon and Deaother stared at her with raised eyebrows.

"Father, what do you think?" Deaother asked Eragon.

"I . . . don't agree with your mother." Arya shot him a questioning look as Eragon continued. "But I do think that you were a bit drastic."

"She herself said that she wouldn't give up being the Queen for me. What did you expect me to do?" Deaother asked, exasperated.

"First of all, I expect you to calm down, and secondly, think. Her father was the king, she grew up as a Princess . . . and being the Queen she can continue the same way of life. You think she will give it up and begin to live like a commoner?" Arya said, her eyes narrowing.

"I grew up as the son of the Lead Rider, it doesn't mean that I want to be the Lead Rider . . ." Deaother told him. Eragon raised his eyebrows at him. Deaother shrugged and continued anyway. "And I gave up the same luxurious life, and came to Ellesmera to live like a commoner . . . I did it, why not her?"

"Because she's a . . . well, a woman." Eragon replied, and Arya smacked her palm on his back, making him laugh.

"He is joking Deaother, listen to me . . . you have done what you did, now if you do want her, you will have to accept her the way she is . . . if you want, you can return and apologise for what you said and hope that she will take you back, or now forget about her." Arya told him matter-of-factly.

Deaother stared at them both, then he shrugged and got to his feet. "Perhaps you are right . . . but I am not going to apologise to her . . . which means, well . . . I'll need faelnivr." Deaother told them, and slowly walked out of the room.

Eragon watched his son go, and he completely understood what his son's situation was. He just didn't know what he could do to help him. "You shouldn't have told him to apologise." Eragon said, turning to Arya.

"Why not?" She asked him back. "You apologize whenever you make a mistake, or whenever you make me angry, or sad. Why not him?"

"Because . . . I don't want him to be at Vaelia's mercy." Eragon said, and a grin came to his face as a look of stark realization went across Arya face, and she tackled him.

"What did I say?" Eragon asked her laughing, lying on his back with Arya on top of him, her hair askew. "I think you mis-"

"Shh . . ." Arya said, and reached down slowly, and kissed his in the lips.

Night came, and along it with came celebrations for the victory of Alagaesia. It was near the Menoa Tree, which was also being prepared for the Agaeti Blodhren, which was just a month away. Deaother stood there with Everaun, and several others from all races, talking about his battle with Crugan.

"He is dead now, not a scrape of his body remains . . ." Deaother finished, and the elves all applauded, and cheers also went up from the people of the other races. "But I couldn't have done it alone, my father helped a lot, he saved my life." Deaother told them.

"You had the courage to go there, alone . . . you have proven that you truly are your father's son." Blodhgarm said. "May your travels be adventurous, Deaother Shadeslayer."

Deaother smiled and nodded at the elf. Slowly then, the group dispersed, all of them telling Deaother that he had accomplished a great deed, in their own ways. Several minutes later, Deaother was left along with Everaun, who was pointing at the Menoa tree and telling his what would happen during the Agaeti Blodhren. Deaother wasn't listening, he was busy staring at Vaelia, who was sitting on a Throne at the enormous tree's base. She was wearing glistening robes, and looked beautiful. Her crown was on her forehead, and she had a mask of fake joy on her face. Deaother noticed it; her smile didn't reach up to her eyes.

Everaun nudged him, bringing him back to his senses. "I think there are some sparring competitions going on as well, would you like to go?" Everaun asked him.

Deaother just shook his head. "I have had enough of sword fighting to last me a long time, my friend."

Everaun shrugged then, clapped him on the shoulder. "Well then, I suggest you talk to Vaelia . . . I know something is bothering you. I will be sparring, if you need me."

Deaother nodded, and they both separated. Deaother walked around lazily, looking at people. He turned and saw Vaelia staring at him, her mask of joy was no longer there. He hurriedly averted his eyes, and spotted Ephian and Elva. They were away from the celebrations, behind a pine tree. Deaother began to walk towards them, then realized that they didn't want to be disturbed. He turned then, and ran into Angrenost. He and Leliana were holding hands and were laughing.

"Why hello there . . ." Angrenost said. "Why so sad, my friend? I can't imagine any reason for a Shadeslayer to be so."

"Not sad, just tired." Deaother replied. Since he wasn't speaking in the Ancient Language, he enjoyed the fact that he could lie.

"You remember Leliana, right?" Angrenost asked him.

"Ah yes, the Princess . . ." Deaother said, taking her hand and kissing it.

"Princess-to-be." Leliana said, and Deaother noticed the ring on her finger as he let go off her hand.

"Well . . . congratulations." Deaother said, and smiled slightly. "Excuse me, I must find . . . my aunt." Deaother hurriedly walked away from them, before they could stop him.

He kept walking, he didn't stop anywhere, especially when he noticed that Vaelia wasn't at the Throne anymore, which meant that she was looking for him. In the following hour, he saw her many times, but fleetingly because he would hurriedly start walking away from her. He didn't want to face her again, because he knew that if she broke into tears in front of him, he wouldn't have the heart to leave her.

Several hours passed, when Deaother finally had had enough of the celebrations, and he left. He walked slowly towards his parent's tree house, he could the spend the night there, then head for the Crags of Tel'naeir. First off, he intended to go to this Tenga's home, and find what he could about his powers.

As he walked, he heard footsteps mirroring his own, and he stopped and turned to back to see an elf following him. He stared at the elf, unsure as to who it was, and nearly yelled out of rage when the elf came close enough for him to recognize the person. It was Worian, and he was extremely thin now, his cheekbones almost bulging out of his face.

"What are you doing here?" Deaother asked him, his voice strained as he contained his anger.

"I just want to talk, Deaother." Worian replied, holding up his hands.

"Speak fast." Deaother said, he didn't want to talk, but he didn't have any better things to do at the moment.

"I don't know what you have done to Vaelia, but stop whatever it is that you are doing . . . she is sad, she is alone, you need to be there for her." Worian told him.

Deaother stared at him. "You are saying this? You filthy hypocrite!"

Worian nodded. "I . . . don't deny what you said . . . but Vaelia has lost her father, Kielle is missing, and I am . . . well, you understand. So that leaves you, only you, for her, she doesn't have anybody else. And from what I can see, you have severed that source of comfort as well, and now she truly is alone and faced with the danger of leading people who just lost two major cities worth of population." Worian told him, and stared at him as Deaother turned away. "You can't turn away from her."

"Listen, Worian, this is none of your concern . . ." Deaother told him. "Be on your way."

"Don't talk to me in this manner, Deaother . . . you owe me, it was I who saved your mate's life in the battle, when you were busy dealing with Zar'rac." Worian told him. Deaother stared at him then, startled.

"And you owe me, Worian, I spared your life and let you leave Osilon . . . otherwise the elven lords would have accused you of treason and sentenced you to death." Deaother replied after his wave of surprise passed.

"Agreed then, we are even . . . but Vaelia never meant to hurt you, Deaother, I am certain of this. Why are you doing this to her?" Worian asked him.

"I don't expect you to understand, Worian." Deaother told him, turned and left the elf to stare at him, bemused.


	109. Chapter 108

**Chapter 108: A Surprising Turn of Events**

Several weeks passed after Deaother and Eragon had defeated Crugan. The humans, dwarves, Urgals, dragons and the Riders had returned to their respective homes.

Deaother had said farewell to his parents the previous day, and had watched Saphira, Valinor and Draumr fly away, along with all the other dragon Riders a few days after the celebrations that had taken place after he had defeated Crugan, then he himself had gone Doru Araeba with Everaun and Phiole.

Eragon the First's and Murtagh's funeral took place there. Deaother stayed at the city of Dragon Riders for three weeks, and then travelled with Angela, Solembum and Laun, all the way to Tenga's home. There, with Angela's help, Deaother took everything he needed, all the notes and books he could find. As they were leaving, Deaother noticed a slightly worn path that led towards the direction of the Haradac Desert, something he felt that he needed to keep in mind. They left then, and returned to Ellesmera. Deaother went to the Crags of Tel'naeir, while his companions went ahead to the city.

Once there, Deaother began to study his powers in seclusion for two weeks. Everaun would come and visit him now and again, along several other elves, which included Kielle. She had been injured in the war, but was now back to her earlier strength.

Deaother learnt how to use his powers without needing the gestures of his hands, he learnt to control the winds and air currents, how to intensify them, how to detect water, how to put out fire using fire and a lot more. And everything that he learnt and used cost him none of his energy. He even read about a sixth element, but decided not to experiment with it just yet, it seemed too dangerous.

At the same time, Ephian and Elva remained at Doru Araeba. Eragon had congratulated and honored Ephian for all his feats, and given him the position of a Senior Council member to replace his mentor, Murtagh. Elva was promoted to being a mentor, and they both stayed at the city of Dragon Riders for a long time afterwards.

Angrenost and Leliana returned to Carvahall, and immediately began to see to the restoration of the city. It took them a month, but the city returned to its original splendor. Angrenost was then crowned King, by Eragon. The ceremony was attended by all the monarchs, who swore their allegiance to the King of the Broddring Kingdom. Deaother was there, and he tried not to let his heart leap when he saw Vaelia, who was still the Queen.

Soon after, Angrenost turned his attention towards Beirland, and sent his forces to retake the city. Several troops of the other races, along with a couple Dragon Riders also went with them. But the inhabitants of the city seemed to have come out of their stupor after the death of Freohr, or Crugan, because they denied the claims of the army when it reached them, telling the forces that they had never lost their minds in the first place.

Another week passed, when Angrenost and Leliana announced their engagement and the date of the wedding, which was just some days away. Eragon, Deaother and the others remained in Carvahall then, and Deaother again took to avoiding Vaelia everywhere he went. He would spend most of his time with Ephian, or Everaun, or Kielle. Both the elves would tell him how Vaelia missed him, but he wouldn't react much to their words.

The wedding was grand, but there wasn't much more to it than the shows of magic, Deaother creating a veil of lightning around the couple and the congratulations from all the people who were invited. The following days were much quieter.

Saphira was quiet most of the while, it took her a long time to get over the loss of her mate. But she did get over it, and soon became her old self, although a corner of her conscience always mourned the passing of Thorn. Valinor, Draumr, Arya, and Deaother all did their best to console her, and Eragon managed it in the end.

The same went for Nasuada. Murtagh's death had left her nearly crippled, and she didn't speak to anyone much. But with her family's help, she also began to recover from her loss. Soon, she became an active member of the Council again.

The Riders decided that it was time to start ferrying dragon eggs again. Nolfavrell and Ohen were given that responsibility, and they were just too happy to receive, especially the dragon.

Orik and his dwarves left with the Urgals, the last ones to start their journey homewards, a week after Angrenost's and Leliana's wedding. Eragon bid them farewell in Carvahall, then he himself returned to Doru Araeba, and Deaother travelled to Ellesmera with Everaun.

Another week passed, and Deaother practiced his ideas of flying. As it turned out, he could not fly, he could raise himself upwards, and move sideways, that too at an extremely slow pace. He wondered what to do about it, and tried to use air currents to speed up the process. It was an utter failure.

In the meantime, the Festival of the Kuthian was coming closer. Deaother would notice Phiole becoming tense and nervous every time he would come to visit with Everaun. The mating time, which came every ten years, was near for the dragon, as was the time when Eragon would once again be able to enter the Vault of Souls.

It was on the day just before that of the Festival of Kuthian, during the morning, when something surprising happened.

Deaother stood with his eyes closed, chest bare, outside his home at the Crags of Tel'naeir, running through his plan once more. _Run . . . jump, and let the wind do the rest._

He took a deep breath and rocked on his heels for a while, preparing himself. If he failed, the outcome would be extreme pain. Aren glinted on his finger, the energy in the ring was vital to all his experiments.

 _Let us begin._ He thought, crouched slightly, standing just a little ahead of the door to the house, the stream of water running behind him. He took another breath, then sprinted forward as fast as his bare feet would allow. After several steps, he jumped, his legs pumping with manic energy. At the same time, he let the air currents propel him forward.

The result: He blasted up high, rising above the tree tops. He swerved around then, and let the air carry him forward, his altitude decreasing, and slowly landed on the roof of his house. Deaother gasped, and looked back at the top of the pine trees. He had risen above them, and he could use his powers to jump much higher and farther than he normally could. But flying was something he would not be able to do, he didn't have the wings for it.

He sat down then, on the slanted roof, and stared at around for a while. Feeling the need to try again, he jumped down and hurried to his original position. He tried again, and again, and yet again. The third time, he landed in the spring, and he hurriedly climbed out of the freezing water, cursing. With a muttered word, he dried himself, and went to try again.

It was then that he heard someone laughing, and he turned to his home. His eyes widened as he found the source of the laugh. "Vaelia?" He asked, astounded. She was standing there, her arms crossed, and was staring at him with joy.

"Trying to fly, are we?" She asked him. He shrugged then, and walked towards her slowly.

She was the same, but was wearing a simple green tunic and black leggings, her hair were free and blowing in the wind. She had no crown. Deaother gaped at her for a while, and when he reached her, she hugged him. "I have missed you so much." She told him.

"I don't understand . . ." Deaother said as she let go and looked up at him.

"I . . . I am not the Queen anymore, Deaother . . . I gave up the Crown and the Throne . . . for you." Vaelia said, reaching forward and placing her hand on his cheek. "I knew I would from the very beginning . . . my life just wasn't complete without you in it."

Deaother stared at her, blankly at first, then almost before he realized what was happening, a wide smile appeared on his face. He hugged her again, this time more warmly and tightly. "I am sorry, Vaelia, for putting you through that . . . but I just couldn't do it again . . . I couldn't remain a Queen's mate again, it was just too much."

"I understand, Deaother, I truly do, which is why I . . . returned to you." Vaelia told him, smiling.

Deaother laughed slightly then, and picked her up in his arms. She laughed as well, and reached down to him. They kissed for a while, and Deaother carried her into his house, still kissing. He let go then, but she didn't want to, so she pulled him to the bed. Deaother gasped as she pushed him onto the mattress, then climbed on top of him, and he felt her embracing him tightly. She just kept kissing him, again and again and again. Deaother found it hard to contain her, and her hand began to move southwards, he hurriedly stopped her.

"How did you know I was here?" Deaother asked her as soon as he managed to free his lips.

"Everaun told me." She said in a moment, then reached forward and kissed him again.

It was then that Deaother realized that he wouldn't be able to stop her, so he let her go about as she wanted. As it turned around, Deaother did not regret a single second of it . . .

 _* * *_

Evening came, and Deaother slowly got up from the bed, pulling on his clothes. Vaelia was asleep. He exited the room, and walked to the hall, when he picked up Tenga's memoir. It was the last of the books that he had brought from the hermit's home, and he had just begun to read it. A few hours passed, and he finished reading the book. He was breathing heavily, excitement clutched at his brain and he felt restless, not because of what he and Vaelia had done, but because of what Deaother had discovered in Tenga's memoir.

Vaelia joined him later, and hugged him from behind. "That was a nice way to begun our new life together, don't you think?" She asked him.

"I agree with all my heart." Deaother grinned, then grabbed her hand as she made to walk away, and pulled her close. She gave a gasp of surprise, but smiled and looked down at him. Deaother then made her sit down next to him, and hurriedly flitted through the pages of Tenga's memoir, explaining to her how he had gone to Tenga's home and brought his books home, and the fact that Tenga had been the last of the Gray Folk, and had the same abilities like Deaother.

Vaelia seemed to be a little amused but mostly bored by Deaother's narration, but he found the page he was looking for, and showed it to her excitedly. Vaelia grabbed it in mock interest, and read it. As she did, her mock interest turned to honest excitement as well. "We have to go this old elven outpost, but how will we find what he has written here?" She asked him.

"I saw a path leading to the west, and that's exactly what he tells us to follow. Let us convince Everaun and Phiole to take us there, what do you think?" Deaother asked her.

"Sure, let us go!" Vaelia said.

"We need to find Angela, she can help us." Deaother told her.

 _* * *_

Eragon stood in front of four tombs, placed outside the Great Hall of Doru Araeba. There, in front of him rested Eragon the First, his brother Murtagh and Anurin. The fourth tomb was empty, but it was placed there to signify Vrael as one of the departed Lead Riders, along with the other three. Murtagh had been the Lead Rider, even if it was for a short period, and thus he deserved a tomb there.

Eragon smiled slightly at the fact that he would be meeting them all again, quite soon. He turned to see Ephian walking towards him, Zar'roc in hand. He handed Eragon the sword and placed it on top of Murtagh's tomb. They had done the same for all the other Lead Riders, even Vrael, whose sword had been found in Utgard.

"Ebrithil, I am sorry for the loss of your brother." Ephian said.

"And I am sorry for the loss of your mentors." Eragon replied, and he turned to watch as the sun set in the direction of the Haradac Desert. He would be heading in that direction soon.

"Is it true, what they say about the mating season of the dragons?" Ephian asked him.

"What do they say?" Eragon asked in reply.

"That an ancient, spectral dragon appears sometimes?" Ephian said.

"Yes, it's true . . . and I have a feeling he is going to appear this year, why don't you and Jiarha come with me and Saphira?" Eragon asked him.

"Jiarha already as a mate." Ephian smiled.

Eragon grinned then, clapped Ephian on the shoulder and dismissed him. He turned back to the tombs, and sighed. "I miss you, brother . . . I guess I can tell you that face to face when I actually meet you, eh?"

He returned to his home, and saw Arya and Nasuada there. Eragon smiled and joined them in their discussion. "Deaother and Vaelia are back together." Arya told him, something which made Eragon laugh. "And was there ever a chance that it wouldn't happen?"

All three of them laughed then.

"Mating season? Is that why Ohen smashed apart the balcony . . . again?" Angrenost asked Nolfavrell, exasperated and amused at the same time.

"I . . . don't know how to explain, Angrenost, but he says that he hopes to do quite soon what you and Leliana were doing last night." Nolfavrell said, and raised his eyebrows at Angrenost.

Angrenost's face went red then, and he turned away. "Alright, fine, it is of no consequence, just tell him to be careful next time." At the same time, he thought. _How, in the name of Galbatorix's buttocks, does he know that?_

Nolfavrell smiled, bowed slightly, and walked off. As soon as he was out of earshot, the Rider began laughing. _Well done Ohen, I can't believe the trick actually worked._

 _I didn't expect it to, but now let's go talk to Leliana!_ Ohen said.

 _She will . . . be a bit more formidable than Angrenost, I am sure of that._ Nolfavrell said, making Ohen grin.

"You want me to come to Tenga's house, again?" Angela said, extremely annoyed.

"Yes, on dragon back, with me, Phiole, Vaelia and Everaun." Deaother added.

"That only makes your proposition worse, and, why?" She asked him.

"Read this." Deaother said and showed her the page in Tenga's memoir.

Angela's expression went from annoyed, to worried, to downright astonishment. "H-How is this possible? How could he?"

"I don't know, but we need to go and check it." Deaother told her.

"Does Eragon know?" Angela asked him.

"Not yet . . ." Deaother said.

"So, when do we leave?" Angela asked him.

"Tomorrow." Deaother told her, grinning.

"Now this, I can't wait for." Angela agreed.


	110. Epilogue

**Epilogue: A New Journey Begins**

"There!" Deaother said, and tapped Everaun's shoulder, pointing at Tenga's old home.

Phiole landed next to the old elven outpost, and Deaother hurriedly got off. Within moments, he had spotted the trail, and now he jogged down the path, followed by Vaelia and Everaun. Phiole growled and followed them as well, while Angela and the werecats remained on the dragon.

Deaother kept jogging, searching for a twenty feet tall pillar like mass that Tenga mentioned just popped into view. The place was plain, but the hermit had placed enchantments on it, which hid it from the view unless you were within ten yards of the pillar.

Deaother didn't know exactly what he was looking for, but he knew that his path would lead him right to it. They kept moving.

"Eka eddyr Eragon."

A diamond peak dazzled in the sunlight as hundreds of dragons watched Eragon, who shouldered the heavy bag which had kept on the ground. It contained several eldunari. The Lead Rider turned and smiled at all of them, as they looked at the diamond doorway expectantly. Nothing happened for a while, and even the dragons seemed to not be breathing.

Then, the door began to glow brightly, and the dragons growled in surprise. The light spread higher, encompassing the diamond peak until the entire mountaintop emanated the strange white glow. Eragon watched for a while, amused at almost all the dragons who had startled expressions on their faces.

He looked down, and saw that the ashes that he had just spread were glowing brightly, and slowly, the rest of the mountain and foothills began to glimmer as the ashes of dragons long dead and forgotten also glowed brightly.

Soon, the light from the peak stopped, and Eragon turned to the doorway. The diamond door showed Eragon fighting himself, several of himself, in the tunnels of Dras'leona. Eragon remembered, it was a painful memory. He had almost been killed that day.

The dragons turned to Eragon for an explanation, and Eragon spoke in a magically magnified voice. "The battle for Dras'leona."

 _Its a pity their Riders decided not to come._ Eragon thought as the vision began to shimmer.

 _No it isn't, it is embarrassing for them, the way it becomes embarrassing for me and Valinor when you enjoy yourself with Arya._ Saphira replied.

 _I . . . knew that._ Eragon said. _Why are you so cheeky nowadays?_

 _Oh, be silent!_ Saphira said.

The door now showed Tenga being killed Galbatorix, and Eragon and Murtagh in the background. "The last of the Gray Folk, being killed at the hands of Galbatorix." Eragon said.

The vision shimmered, and showed Eragon, Murtagh and Arya battling Galbatorix. Eragon remained silent then, and felt a little of the same rage that he had felt then as he saw himself kneeling, helpless, as Galbatorix walked towards his brother and mate.

The vision again shimmered, and now showed Naeivya being impaled by Galbatorix. Eragon closed his eyes then, but said. "Death of Naeivya, daughter Enaevia, who gave her life for me." He watched as she stopped gasping and then went limp.

The vision again shimmered, and now, Eragon was loping off Galbatorix's head. A low growl of approval came from somewhere that Eragon didn't know. He just shrugged. Again, the diamond door shimmered, and now Eragon was placing the crown on Roran's forehead. "The coronation of Roran Stronghammer, King of the Broddring Kingdom."

It showed many more visions after that, the reconstruction of Carvahall and Doru Araeba, and Eragon explained each and every vision. He smiled then when visions of him and Deaother defeating Crugan finally came. It showed Eragon on his knees as Deaother stabbed Crugan in the chest multiple times. The dragons roared then, celebrating the defeat of the worst adversary that they had faced.

And then the visions stopped, and the diamond peak began to glow once more. Slowly at first, then an increasingly loud collage of roars went up from the dragons as the light from the grew became so intense, Eragon had to shield his eyes. The light faded then, and the dragons watched, mesmerized as tendrils of light sped up from the diamond doorway and joint at the peak, forming a point that glowed as bright as the sun.

Then, hundreds of yelps of surprise followed as a vast, unimaginably vast, conscience entered the minds of each and every dragon present there, along with Eragon. This was followed by even louder yelps as a bright flash of light blinded everyone present at Du Fells Nángoröth, and they saw an enormous dragon, its size noticeably more than that of Bid'daum's, perched on the peak of the diamond mountain.

 _Welcome, Eragon Kingslayer, Saphira Brightscales, and younglings._ A powerful voice said. _So, you have returned after a century, a great century, and now it brings me great joy to see this valley filled dragons at the Festival of Kuthian once more._ The consciousness said.

 _For those of you who do not know me, I am Kuthian, Creator of Werecats, and this mountain is diamond due to my magic._ Kuthian told them all. The dragons looked up at him with reverence and respect. He looked down at all of them proudly, then turned to Eragon. _I have helped you against Galbatorix, but I am surprised you did not need my aid against the Birth of Death._

 _Deaother was more than sufficient._ Eragon replied, smiling.

 _Ah, your son. He has a great life ahead of him._ Kuthian told him, and Eragon smiled.

 _An honor, Kuthian, as always._ Eragon told him, and bowed. The dragons present in the mountains followed his example, bowing to the great Dragon.

 _You may enter the Vault of Souls, Son of Brom._ Kuthian told him, and took one last look at all the dragons present there, then disintegrated into beams of light which seeped back into the diamond peak.

"I didn't know it would take so long . . ." Deaother told them. They were back on Phiole, and were flying low, so that they could keep an eye on the path.

The path that they had been following had suddenly veered north, and they were now heading in the direction of Dras'leaona. In the distance, ahead of him, were the hills where Deaother knew his grandfather rested in his diamond tomb.

"What are we going to find there?" Everaun asked them.

"A sort of pillar which Tenga created, and only one with his abilities can break it and find the treasure within." Deaother replied.

"So only you can break it, and what is the treasure?" Everaun asked, extremely curious.

"We don't know, but it is his 'greatest accomplishment', it has to be something spectacular." Deaother said.

"Phiole says that if it isn't something worthwhile, he is going to set you on fire." Everaun told him.

"Tell him he'll need to do better than that, since fire doesn't burn me." Deaother told him, and laughed slightly. They were flying right towards Brom's tomb now, and soon they would reach it. Deaother planned to land there and pay his respects to his grandfather.

"Welcome, son." Brom said a few seconds after Eragon had entered the Vault of Souls. Eragon smiled and hugged his father. A pair of arms wrapped around him, and turned to see his mother there. She looked just as beautiful as the last time he had seen her.

"You have had some great adventures." Selena said, and Eragon nodded at her. Both of them were wearing the same clothes as they had been the last time Eragon had visited.

"I have been waiting for you for a long time." A voice said, and Eragon turned to see Roran appear. "Brother . . ." Another voice said, and Murtagh appeared next to him.

A look of joy spread across Eragon's face as he hugged them both. Roran looked old, the way he had looked when he had died, while Murtagh looked young, which was exactly how he had looked when he had died. Eragon let go off them, and Oromis clapped him on the shoulder. "Ebrithil Oromis." Eragon smiled.

He then pulled off the bag on his shoulder, and pulled out Glaedr's Eldunari. He handed it to Oromis, who smiled and nodded at Eragon, then disappeared from his view. Eragon then turned to Murtagh, who asked, "How is Nasuada?"

"Better now . . . by the way, Roran, your descendant, Angrenost, is every bit like you." Eragon said. "I just wanted to say that, it's a long time coming."

Roran just grinned, his beard waggling.

"Eragon Kingslayer, it's heartening to see you again." Vrael appeared behind Roran and Murtagh, and they both parted so that Vrael could stand in front Eragon. "You have done well, Eragon, you have defended Alagaesia as well as a Lead Rider should."

"Thank you, Vrael." Eragon replied, then reached into his bag, pulled out the eldunari of Lenora and gave it to Vrael. Lenora was Vrael's dragon, whom Eragon had found in Utgard. He handed it to the old Lead Rider, and Vrael thanked him mightily for doing so.

Eragon turned then, and saw Eragon the First and Anurin, both walking towards him. "Your son has a bright future ahead of him." Eragon the First said. Eragon nodded, it was impossible for him to drop the smile which was on his face. "Thank you for the great funeral that you gave us." Eragon the First said, gesturing at himself, Anurin and Murtagh.

"The least I could do." Eragon replied.

"Eragon Kingslayer." Izlanzadi said as she appeared as well, followed by Hrothgar. Eragon smiled and greeted her and the dwarf king, who threw Murtagh a filthy look.

Eragon then turned, smiling at all of them, and noticed something as he looked over Eragon the First' shoulder. Eragon walked past him, even as the elf turned, following his gaze. Eragon gaped, Naeivya stood in front of him. "Greetings, Eragon."

"Naeivya!" Eragon said, extremely pleased to see her, and he was surprised when she lunged forward and hugged him tightly.

"I have been watching you all this time, you and Arya have had a great life . . . your son, you must be proud of him." Naeivya said, placing her hand on his face.

Eragon smiled at her, she was just the way he remembered her. "I am proud of him . . . and I am glad to see you again."

Naeivya let go off him then, and pointed, a scowl instantly taking the place of her earlier joyful face. Eragon turned to see Tenga walking towards him, his arms folded. "I would exchange pleasantries with all of you, but there is something that we need to see." The old man's face was impassive, and if he was relieved to see Eragon, he didn't show it.

Everyone in the room turned to Tenga and Eragon, and Tenga gestured at the air in front of all of them. Heslant appeared there, and he nodded at Eragon as if he was in a hurry. "Good to see you, Eragon, but the hermit is right, we all must see this."

"Your son is up to something." Eragon turned to see King Orothrim.

He greeted the old king, then asked. "What was that about my son?"

"Here, let me show you." Tenga said, he seemed to be angry. "Your son is interfering with something extremely important . . . it might just be his undoing."

The air in front of them all shimmered, and then all of a sudden, Eragon was staring at himself and everyone else behind him. The mirror had appeared out of thin air, and now it rippled like water and slowly changed.

Eragon gasped, it showed Deaother standing in front of Brom's tomb. "What . . .?" Eragon muttered.

Brom came next to him, and Eragon turned to him, eyebrow raised. "It's a nice tomb, give your Saphira my regards."

"Give your Saphira my regards as well." Eragon replied, making Brom grin. But now, Eragon was curious so see what Deaother was doing there, and quietly watched his son after that.

Deaother sighed and placed his hand on the diamond, staring at his grandfather's face. He turned to the engraving on the tomb, and smiled as read what was written.

 _Here Lies Brom Holcombsson  
Who was my Father, a Dragon Rider  
He was also the Bane of the Forsworn  
And the Founder of the Varden  
May his name live on in Glory_

 _Rest in Peace, Father._

"I am proud to be of your lineage." Deaother said. And, for some awkward reason, he almost felt as if his grandfather was watching him.

"Deaother, we found the path!" Vaelia called.

"Right, let's go . . ." Deaother said, and turned back to Brom. "I'll be back." He said, and smiled at him. Deaother them leapt down the structure and joined the others. They hurried down the path again, trotting.

"How long is this going to be?" Vaelia asked him. They were again heading west.

"I really don't know . . . All his memoir says is that we will find it at the end of this path." Deaother replied.

They kept moving for a long time, and stopped for a break when the soil had begun to turn to sand. Deaother stopped then, and gazed into the distance in the direction of Du Fells Nángoröth. He sighed, then flopped down next to Vaelia, and placed his head in her lap, stretching his legs. "There is something I want to tell you." Deaother said.

Vaelia stared at him, her eyes glowing. "Tell me."

"I . . . feel great, now that everything is over. And, I am glad you returned to me . . . thank you for choosing me over the Crown." Deaother told her.

Vaelia just beamed at him her face extremely beautiful, and reached down. Deaother reached up and kissed her, but they separated hurriedly when Angela cleared her throat loudly. "You don't want to do that, trust me." She said.

After an hour, they started moving again, and it took them most of noon, during which they turned to the north again, but they finally reached their destination. They were just trotting, when suddenly a pillar, black in color, appeared before them. It just appeared, out of nowhere, and they all stopped short, gaping. Deaother had not expected it to be so sudden, but he shrugged at the others and smiled as well. "This is it!" He said, and walked forward. He reached forward and placed his hand on the pillar. It was warm, and felt like . . .

"Soil?" Deaother said, bemused. "It feels like wet soil . . . but is as strong as stone." Deaother turned to Angela, who hunched her shoulders and settled on the ground.

"Give me something to eat, will you, Everaun?" She said, talking to the Rider.

"What is this?" Eragon asked Tenga, staring at the twenty feet tall pillar.

"Beneath that pillar lies a chest, which holds something of vital importance." Tenga says. "It is not meant to be opened, why is your son doing this?"

"Perhaps because your memoir told him to." Brom said. Tenga shot him a furious look.

"Calm down, everyone . . .Tenga, tell us what is in the chest?" Eragon the First said.

"I'd rather not, Rider." Tenga said, turning to Eragon the First.

Eragon gave an exasperated sigh, and turned to his mother, who was smiling at Deaother. "He is very handsome, and his mate is really beautiful as well . . . Brom, our grandson is just the way we wanted him to be."

Brom smiled and nodded at her, and turned back to Deaother, who seemed to be trying something. "What's he doing?"

"Foolish boy, don't use your powers!" Tenga shouted.

"What are you doing?" Vaelia asked Deaother as he took a deep breath and raised his hands.

"Tenga's memoir says that only a person with his abilities can access what's within . . . so I suppose I will need to use my powers, isn't that right, Angela?" Deaother said.

"Sounds like something Tenga would come up with." Angela agreed.

Deaother nodded then, and told them to back away. He then raised his hands, and closed his eyes, focusing on the water which was present in the pillar. He had felt it when he had placed his hands on the pillar. He forced his mind to push all the other thoughts aside then, and curled his fingers to fists. He could feel the water in the pillar with his mind now, and now, he began to raise it from the base to the top. It sped up the cylindrical pillar, and it was met with resistance at the tip. Deaother growled, and forced the water up.

Angela and Vaelia let out cries of surprise, and Phiole yelped as the water gushed out of the top in an enormous fountain, and it fell on them like rain drops. Deaother smiled then, and opened his eyes. As he watched, cracks went up the pillar, which was now devoid of moisture. The soil was now dry, and weaker. Deaother then raised his hand again, and willed the soil to rise. It did, and Deaother placed it in a heap several yards away.

Beneath the layer of soil was hard stone. Deaother stared at the flawless rock which the pillar was composed of now that the soil and water had been removed, confused as to what he was supposed to do, then placed both his hands on the stone. It was cold, and Deaother felt it with his mind. He took a several steps back, and using his powers, he raised the stone pillar from the base, willing it, ordering it, telling it to rise up.

He heard gasps of surprise from his companions as the pillar rose to the air. Deaother couldn't afford to lose his focus now. He raised it several feet above the ground, then moved it to the left, where he dropped the stone pillar, suddenly realizing that there was a chest now where the pillar's base had earlier been. Deaother shook his head slightly and began to walk towards the chest.

"What's in the chest, Tenga?" Anurin said, turning to the hermit.

"If he . . . succeeds, you will find out." Tenga said, but otherwise ignored the Rider.

Eragon watched as Deaother walked towards the chest. As soon as he came within a yard of it, Deaother yelled in pain as a huge explosion took place. Eragon gaped, and shouted, "Deaother!" He turned to Tenga. "What have you done? What is in that chest?"

Tenga was quiet, and Eragon turned back to the mirror, extremely worried.

Eragon watched then, as Deaother was engulfed in an inferno of raging fire, disappearing from sight as the fire surrounded him from every direction. "No, no . . ." Eragon muttered. Brom and Selena looked equally worried.

"Do no worry, Eragon, your son is fine." Eragon the First said.

"How do you know this?" Eragon asked, turning to him.

"Because I know that his abilities will protect hi;, you should have more faith in your son, now watch." Eragon the First said, and pointed.

Eragon turned then, and gaped as a figure emerged within the fire, and it parted to reveal Deaother, his clothes slightly burnt, but otherwise he was alright. His left hand was coated in fire. Eragon gave a sigh of relief, but Tenga said, "It's not over . . ."

There was the sound of metal scratching over metal, and lightning crackled around Deaother, who jumped back in surprise. His right hand was suddenly coated in lightning as well, and Deaother raised both his arms to the sky. The fire and lightning around him flew up, and he then threw his arms to both sides. Lightning went to the right, and fire went to left. Deaother stood there then, completely unharmed.

"He is alright . . ." Eragon told himself then, and saw that Brom and Selena also had relieved looks.

Deaother then hurried to the chest, and grabbed the lid, looking at his companions, all of whom had looks of excitement on their faces. He pulled open the lid, and gazed inside. Eragon tried to get a good look, but he couldn't see what was inside. He then turned to Tenga. "Now, you can tell us what is inside, because they have reached the chest."

Tenga sighed heavily, "There is a dragon egg in the chest."

Eragon raised his eyebrow, as did Murtagh. "You went to so much trouble to protect a dragon egg?"

Eragon watched as Deaother lifted it gingerly in his arms. The egg was quite large, larger than Saphira's egg had been, and it was silver in color. Eragon smiled at the look of awe on Deaother's face. He then turned back as Tenga began to explain.

"This is no ordinary dragon egg . . ." Tenga said, and Eragon noticed that the hermit was avoiding Vrael's gaze. "This is the egg sired by the dragon-whose-name-cannot-be-expressed-in-any-language."

Eragon stared at the hermit then, and then astonishment leapt up within him and he said, "It's . . . my son found the egg who is a direct child of that dragon?"

Tenga nodded, but Roran brought all of their attention back to the mirror. "Something is happening."

Eragon turned back, and saw that Deaother was shivering. He raised his eyebrow, "Why is your son shivering?" Evandar asked Eragon.

"I . . . don't know." Eragon said simply.

"Deaother, why are you shivering?" Vaelia asked him.

"I am not shivering, this egg is!" Deaother exclaimed.

Realization spread across Everaun's, Eragon's and every other Rider's face who was present in the Vault of Souls.

"Everyone get back! Deaother, keep the egg on the ground and take a few steps away from it." Everaun said, motioning for Vaelia and Angela to move.

Deaother did as Everaun said, and placed the egg a little ahead of the chest, and took a few steps back.

"The egg is hatching." Brom said.

The egg continued to shake, then it began to rock backwards and forwards. Eragon watched intently, wondering when the shell was going to crack. "I think the egg is hatching." Everaun also said. Deaother gave him, and Vaelia, surprised looks. Phiole loomed over them, watching the egg with extreme interest.

It was then that a crack appeared in the egg, then another, and one more. Deaother gasped as he watched a glistening silver head poked out and squealed at him. A moment later, the shell broke into small pieces, and the dragon fell out, rolling to its feet. Deaother watched in surprise, and shot Vaelia another look, who looked just as astounded as him.

"It's a Rider's egg." Tenga said, and he got exclaimed replies.

"The dragon-whose-name-cannot-be-expressed-in-any-language gave one of his children to the Riders?" Anurin asked.

"Yes, he did." Vrael said. He, Oromis and Brom shared a confused look. "We thought we had lost it, but how is it that you found it, Tenga?"

"I . . . he found me, the last of the Grey Folk, and told me that his egg was in danger, and he would rather it was lost forever than it was in Galbatorix's hand . . . I took it from Utgard, before you arrived there." Tenga told Vrael.

Eragon then turned back to Deaother, who was watching the dragon, extremely tensed. "What do I do?" Deaother said, not taking his eyes off the dragon, who was licking its own wings.

"Reach forward and stroke his face." Everaun said simply.

Deaother raised an eyebrow, then slowly moved forward, his left hand outstretched. Eragon watched his son advance on the little dragon. Deaother stared at the silver dragon, which squeaked innocently and began to come closer to him as well. Eragon, Deaother's companions and everyone in the Vault of Souls watched with abated breaths as Deaother moved forward with more speed. He smiled when he reached the dragon, and his hand obstructed Eragon's view. Eragon couldn't see the dragon, so he assumed that Deaother was stroking it.

Nothing happened.

Eragon gave a sigh of disappointment then. "Looks like you took the wrong-"

"Argh!"

Eragon turned back to the mirror to see Deaother falling to the ground on his back, his right hand raised. Eragon watched in awe and wonder as his son's palm glowed, and the silvery Gedwëy Ignasia appeared on it. He couldn't help it, he grinned as the silver dragon hopped onto Deaother's chest and stared at his face, which showed a look of extreme pain and confusion. Eragon laughed. He had expected that.

"And so . . . a new journey begins." Heslant said.

"Indeed, it does . . ." Roran told him.

"My son . . . Deaother's a dragon Rider!" Eragon exclaimed with joy, crossing his arms as he turned to Brom and Selena. "Aren't you proud?"

"The hell they are!" Murtagh exclaimed, thumping Eragon on the back. "My nephew is a Rider, of a dragon who the direct descendant of the dragon-whose-name-cannot-be-expressed-in-any-language."

Eragon smiled at him, and was soon being congratulated by everyone in the Vault of Souls.

Deaother looked at the dragon as it snuggled his chest, curling on it and giving out a puff of smoke. He sighed and turned to Vaelia, "I . . . I am a Dragon Rider."

Vaelia was speechless.

The dragon squeaked then, and Deaother turned to it, then said. "Phiole . . . ?"

The dragon didn't respond at first, but it growled when Everaun nudged it. Deaother turned to him again. "Phiole, she's hungry . . ."

Little did Deaother know that he and his new partner of heart and soul were being watched by the greatest heroes that Alagaesia had ever seen. And now, a new person had risen to their ranks, and would soon rise even higher to become the greatest legend that Alagaesia had ever had.

But that is a story for another time . . .


End file.
